The Children of the Pactio
by Western Mage
Summary: The fate of their future lies in the fate of their parents' past. NegixHarem. Konosetsu.
1. Prologue

The Children of the Pactio

Summary: 28 Years have gone by since the day Negi became a teacher and since then, he has mastered the skills that make him the most powerful and feared Mage around. He is the only one who stands in the way of _Le_ _Oublie_, who want control over the magical world. They have a plan, they have a mission and nothing or no one is going to stop them… or so they think.

* * *

Prologue

Mahora Academy, over the years students have come and students have gone, but the buildings themselves haven't changed especially one in particular. Behind the old clock tower, in the middle of a cold winters night with snow falling from the sky above, a lone figure stands in the field of silver leaves, which are covered by a blanket of snow.

Dressed in a long, white hooded cloak, the figure moves his head left and then to the right, as if he is looking for something, 'Where could they be?' the figure thought to himself.

A cold breeze blows and the figure shivers, 'We should have waited for warmer weather.'

The mysterious man walks back and forth in a path, leaving footprints in the snow. He pulls his arm from beneath his cloak and looks at his wristwatch to see the time, 'What is taking them so lo-', his thought is cut-off when he hears footsteps caused by the crumpling snow underneath shoes, he looks up and sees three other figures, dressed in similar cloaks, walking towards the field.

Two of the figures were of equal height to each other, but were a few each inches shorter than the man. The third one was a few feet shorter than all the others that he came up to the waist, indicating he was a child.

"Oniichan!" the second figure calls out to the man in a female voice as she runs across the field and embraces her brother in a hug.

After what seemed like an eternity of hugging, the young girl parts away from her brother, "You got my letter, didn't you Oniichan?" the other two hooded figures arrive to catch the conversation between brother and sister,

"Yeah, I got your letter Imoto-chan," he looked at the other two, "and I decided to come help you, you're going to need it." The man said with a small laugh.

"Aniki, this isn't funny." the first figure said with a male voice, "If you're not going to take this seriously, then you should go home." He said with an annoyed tone.

Aniki looks at the man, but not knowing if he is looking at him right in his eyes, because his hood is still up, "I am taking this serious, I'm at risk too, just like you three." He said with an angry tone in his voice. Their sister decides to step in between them, to prevent a fight between the two,

"Oniichan, Ani-kun doesn't mean to talk like that to you, he's just mad at what has happened over the last two weeks and the attack in Kyoto, it can make anybody stressful."

Taking in what his sister has said, Anii takes a deep breath and starts to calm down. "You're right Imoto-chan, you're absolutely right." He faces his brother, "I'm sorry Anii, I shouldn't kid around right now."

Anii calmed down and apologized as well, "I'm sorry too Aniki for snapping at you like that."

"Good, now kiss and make up." Imoto-chan said to her brothers, at which point both shouted "NO!" in unison.

"What was taking you three so long?" Aniki asked to them, "I've been waiting here for half an hour."

Anii decided to answer his question, "Well, we all had to do different things, Aniki."

"That's right Oniichan." His sister began to explain what they've been doing, "I was busy packing our backpacks."

"While I was busy with Itoto-chan." Anii move over and placed his hand on top of the hooded child's head. "The two of us 'entered' into the Headmaster's office and 'borrowed' one of his scrolls".

Aniki looked at Anii, then at his little brother and back to Anii "You and him broke into the Dean's office and stole his scroll" Aniki said in a state of disbelief.

"It was the only way," they both heard what their little brother was saying "and besides, we'll return it when we get back and no one will ever know."

Anii just agreed with his little brother and turned back to face his other brother "Aniki, are you sure you want to come with us?" Anii sounded worried as he continued to speak "You have so much, I mean do they know what-"

"They know and I promised them I would be back." Aniki said cutting off his brother.

"But what about the kids?" his sister answered that question, "They're okay. We left them with the professor. We told her that we needed to be somewhere." Imoto-chan looked to the side of her brother and noticed a backpack, "I see you're packed too Oniichan."

"Yeah I am. I brought food, water, clothes and some money, just in case. What about you three?"

"Like I said," her sister began "I packed for the three of us," she pointed at herself and her two other brothers, "Ani-kun is carrying his stuff and I pack Itoto-Chan's clothes with my own."

Her brother looked down and faced their younger brother. "What about you? What are you taking if our sister is carrying your clothes?"

The little brother lifted the left side of his cloak to show a variation of bottles attached to his cloak, each filled with a different color liquid. "Potions and catalysis for each of us." Then he lifted the right side of his cloak and showed a bag hanging on his shoulder by a strap. "I'm also bringing enchanted pistols, wands, spell books, etc."

The older brother looked at the bag hanging off his little brother's shoulder, "Are you sure you can handle it?" he asked in a concern voice.

"Yeah I'm fine. It's not very heavy, besides I'm alot stronger than this."

Hearing a branch break, the siblings look out towards the forest; they sense a feeling of being watched. "Well, I think we should get going." Anii said, "We're wasting time just standing here."

The others turn from the forest and face each other saying what's on their minds "Agreed."

From beneath Anii's cloak, he pulls out a scroll tied with a red string. Anii turns around and faces the others, "Everyone knows what we have to do and what we can't do, right?" Everyone of them nodded their heads,

"Yeah we do Ani-kun, let's start already." his sister said to him. "Alright then."

He unravels the scroll and holds it from left to right, "Here we go." He begins to read the incantation on the scroll, _"Spirits of time and space, We beg of you hear our cry, open a door to the past, so we may pass through_."

As he finishes reading, the scroll starts to shake in his hands; it then flies out of his grip and gets bigger as it stands in the middle of the field. The scroll is now the size of a door, shines with a bright, white light and a breeze coming from it.

"Well... I guess I'll go first." Aniki said to the others. "Oniichan, please be careful." "I will Imoto-chan. When I go through, you three go after, got it?" The three of them nodded in agreement.

Taking a deep breath, Oniichan steps towards the scroll door. He extends an arm and puts it into the door, "It's a little cold." he walks through the door and is engulfed by the white light.

"Well I am next." Anii said to the remaining two. "Don't take too long or the door will close." Anii says to his sister and little brother.

Anii, being less hesitant than his brother, walks through the door and is engulfed by the white light.

Oneechan kneeled down to face her little brother, "Okay Ototo-chan, go through the door as soon as I do." "Yes Oneechan." said her little brother.

She stands up and walks right towards the door. As soon as his sister goes through the door, Ototo-chan walks to the door, but stops right in front of it. He takes one last look at the forest. He can't shake the feeling of being watched. He turns his attention back to the door and walks through it and is engulfed by the white light.

As the last of the four hooded strangers passes through the door, it began to shrink back to its original size and it gets smaller and smaller, until there's nothing left. The four hooded strangers and the scroll have disappeared; the only proof of them ever being in the flower field is their footprints in the snow, which are being erased by the blowing cold breeze. From within the forest, a pair of eyes has been watching the whole thing, "Well, there they go."

_Mahora Academy (Present)_

Spring time at Mahora Academy is so peaceful. Not so cold and not so warm. The Sakura trees are in full bloom and the wind scattering the petals into the air, it's quite a sight to behold.

Eleven o'clock at night, everyone within the girls' dormitory are sound asleep, with an exception. In one of the rooms, a certain mage professor is awake in the small kitchen the room has, drinking a glass of water.

'What was that?' Negi thinks to himself, 'I sense magic, but it felt like it came out of nowhere.'

Negi washes the glass and puts it back in the cupboard. 'Could it have been those lightning bolts from the storm early tonight?'

He quietly walks back to his loft, not wanting to wake Asuna or Konoka.

As Negi lies down to sleep, he can't help but question the magic he sensed. Of course, it was what woke him up, but is the person, persons or whatever giving off this magic, friend or foe?

* * *

Author's Note: With the four hooded stranger, I don't want to reveal their identities...yet. I use different terms to refer each other as brother and sister. Here what the they mean, it took me a long time to find the correct terms: 

**Anii/Aniki: Brother**

**Ani-kun: Used to refer to a brother of the same age**

**Oniichan: Big brother**

**Oneechan: Big sister**

**Ototo-chan: Little brother**

**Imoto-chan: Little sister**


	2. Chapter One

The Children of the Pactio

Chapter One

The aroma of breakfast was in the air and reached Negi's nose. He inhaled the delicious scent of eggs and sausages, "Mmm...It smells great." Negi came down from his loft to eat breakfast.

"Good morning Negi-kun." Konoka greeted him as she prepared Negi a dish, "Good morning Konoka, I take it that Asuna has already left to deliver the paper."

"Yeah, eight minutes before you woke up." Negi sits down and starts on his breakfast.

"As usual Konoka, breakfast was delicious." Negi says with a smile.

"Why thank you Negi-kun." Konoka responded with a blush as she takes her and Negi's dish to the sink.

"Well, with breakfast over, I'm going to go and take a bath before class starts." Konoka says with her towel in one hand and a bucket filled with soaps and shampoo in the other, "How about you Negi-kun?"

"Umm...I think I will take a shower in the bathroom here."

Negi prefers showers over baths. For one, he scrubs his own hair at a soft and gentle pace, rather than hard and rough like Asuna's. Second, he doesn't have to worry about any of his students coming in 'by accident'.

As he dresses in the bathroom, he hears two muffled voices coming from the bedroom, "I guess Asuna's back from her newspaper route."

After Negi puts on his pants and shirt, he comes out of the bathroom and sees Asuna talking to Konoka, who had a shocked look on her face. "Hello Asuna...is something wrong?"

"Hey Negi, I was just telling Konoka what I saw on my route today." Konoka, who was wearing a towel, pats on the couch, indicating Negi to take a seat next to her, "Come here Negi-kun, you have to listen to what Asuna saw."

Negi, always the gentleman, didn't refuse Konoka's offer, of course he was very nervous to sit next to a girl wearing only a towel, "So...uhh...w-what happened As-asuna?" Asuna decided to start from the beginning for Negi, "Well, like I was telling Konoka, what happened was this..."

* * *

_One hour ago_

_The paper route is nothing new, just the same, old, plain route. 'Professor Takahata wasn't even outside his house to receive his paper.' Asuna quietly thinks to herself. Asuna had a gloom look on her face as she puts another newspaper in a mailbox._

_From a distance, she can hear police sirens. _

_Couple of more papers delivered the sound gets louder. As Asuna turns the corner, she sees police cars, fire trucks and small group of people gathered. _

_Always one to butt-in into other people's business, Asuna goes to see what happened._

_As Asuna approaches, she can smell burnt rubber. She reaches the group and tries to find out what happened, but all she can hear is people asking, "How did it happen?" and "Did anybody get hurt?"_

_Asuna decides to ask one of the officers at the scene to find out what really happened, "Well, we're not sure," the officer answered her "it looks like some sort of an explosion, excuse me." The officer went over to keep people from crossing the crime scene tape. Asuna moves away from the crowd to get a better view. _

_As she gets a good view of the accident, she becomes shocked at what she sees. Not one or two but seven craters all the same size and perfect circular shape. She takes out her camera phone and takes pictures of the craters, "There's no way the others would believe me."_

_As she is taking pictures, from the corner of her eye, Asuna spots an odd figure. Standing a few feet away from her, a hooded figure viewing the craters wearing all black. _

_Black hooded sweater, black jeans and black sneakers. The figure stretches out his arm and places his hand above the one of the craters. Asuna decides to take a picture of the mysterious stranger._

_The shutter sound coming from Asuna's phone snaps the hooded man to attention from the crater and looks at her. Asuna gets a shiver down her spine as the man's hooded face just stares at her. _

_The man withdraws his hand and tucks both of his arms in his sweater pockets. He turns his back to Asuna and starts to walk away from the scene._

_Asuna decide to follow him. She knew he wasn't there just to see. She followed him staying a few feet away, not wanting to let the guy know she was stalking him._

_The mysterious man kept walking and was now five blocks away from the accident scene. As he was walking he turned his head to the left and saw Asuna following him and he stopped walking._

_Fearing that the man has spotted her, she hides behind a trash can. She peeks out from behind the trash can and sees the mystery man just standing there._

_The man takes one more glance behind him and begins to run. Knowing that he had indeed seen her, Asuna chased after him, 'I think he knows something.' Asuna thought to herself. _

_She was about four feet away and closing in on him. She kept up with every turn he made. He was so close, just a bit more and she would get him._

_The mystery man did something that took Asuna by surprise, he turned his whole body around and faced Asuna._

_He was running backwards._

_Asuna couldn't believe it, the man she was chasing was now running backwards. He didn't even bother to turn around, he was so confident that he didn't need to see where he was going._

_The mystery man raised his hand and waved at Asuna, and then he turns back around and faced forward. _

_With a swift motion of his arm, he point up and then down, small electrical sparks came from his finger as a ball of wind formed around his feet. Asuna felt a gust of wind hit her in the face as the mysterious man run faster than before._

_Asuna couldn't keep up. She stopped running as the mystery man kept on running as he shrank into the distance. _

_The mysterious man, who was he, what was he doing at the accident site and why did he run away when Asuna followed him? One question was on her mind, 'Was that guy a... wizard? _

"WHAT?" Negi and Konoka both yelled out. "Could there be any other explanation?" Asuna asked them.

"Asuna, are you sure you didn't make this up?" Negi asked her.

"Yeah Asuna," Konoka said "your story sounds a little far-fetched."

"What?" Asuna said in an angry tone, "You two don't believe me?"

Negi and Konoka both looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "Okay fine, don't believe me. I'll just go and take the proof with me." Asuna said while holding her cell phone in her hand.

"Okay Asuna, we believe you. Now let us see the pictures." Konoka pleaded with her.

"Now that's more like it." Asuna said with a smile. She tossed her phone over to Konoka.

Konoka flipped open Asuna's phone and went straight to the photos, "Look Negi-kun, Asuna was telling the truth."

Negi looked at the pictures Konoka was looking at on the phone screen and saw the craters Asuna mention in her story. "See, those are the seven craters I was talking about."

"Well maybe it was a gas explosion that caused those craters." Konoka explain to Asuna. "But, that can't be it. I thought-"

"Asuna's right. It wasn't a gas explosion." Negi said cutting off Asuna. She and Konoka looked at Negi, who was now studying the picture and had a serious look on his face.

"If it wasn't a gas explosion what was it Negi-kun?" Konoka asked him.

Negi took the phone from Konoka, "I don't know, but craters are caused by the ground getting hit by a powerful force from above." Negi looked at both of them. "Gas explosion just make a gaint hole." Negi pressed the next button on Asuna's phone and came upon the picture of the mysterious hooded man, "Asuna, is this the guy you chased?" Negi turns the phone towards Asuna.

"Yeah, that's him. He was super fast." Asuna confirmed Negi. "Let me see, Negi-kun." Negi passed the phone to Konoka. She looked at the picture of the hooded man and at his stance.

"What do you think he was doing?" Konoka asked Asuna. "I don't know, but when I was chasing him and when he turned around and waved at me, even though his hood was up and I couldn't see his face, I had a feeling he was smiling at me." Asuna told Konoka and Negi.

Negi took the phone back from Konoka and looked at the picture, 'What was he doing there? Did he cause this?' Negi thought to himself.

Negi closed the phone and looked at its clock, "AAAHH!" Asuna and Konoka were startled by Negi's scream, "What's wrong Negi?" Negi got up from the couch and went for his clothes, "We got fifteen minutes before class starts!"

They both looked at the clock in the room, "AAH! I didn't even get dressed yet. Asuna your story took too long." Konoka said while looking through her underwear drawer. "I'm sorry you two." Asuna apologized to Negi and Konoka.

* * *

A word of advice for those walking by the grounds of Mahora academy around eight a.m., before the train arrives at Mahora station, clear the path unless you don't want to get caught in the stampede of 3,000 girls.

From the alleyway, between two shops, two hooded figures in white cloaks watch the sea of school girls running towards the academy, "Do you see him, Ototo?" asked the first person, he was taller than the other hooded person.

"No I don't Oniisan." The shorter person said to his older brother.

Both of them were combing out the crowd of girls trying to spot somebody. "Maybe we missed him and he is already... No wait, here he comes, hide."

Both of the cloaked figures hid in the darkness of the alley as they saw Negi run with Konoka and Asuna. They saw him running by the alley, "Unbelievable." Oniisan said. "I know I can't believe he was ever that small." said Ototo.

"Hey, who is the girl on the roller-blades?" Oniisan asked his little brother. "Oniisan, you don't know?" Ototo said to his big brother, to which he shook his head, "I have seen the old photos Oniisan, that's Konoe Konoka."

"What?" Oniisan couldn't believe his ears, "She nothing from the Konoka we know."

"Oniisan please remember, right now, she like all the others are inexperienced and they are still kids."

His little brother was right, "Alright Mr. Know-it-all tell me, who is the red-headed?"

"Ugh...that's Kagurazaka Asuna." Ototo said with a little annoyance, "Honestly, what do you do in your spare time other than training with you-know-who."

"When you get older, you'll understand." His older brother said, "Anyway, I think that's the girl that was chasing Aniki, he said she was fast."

They both watched the girls and Negi run towards the school, "Well Ototo, I guess you have the first shift, then me and then Imoto-chan. Aniki is investigating the accident scene today, it could help us find _Oublie_ and end this fast without interfering with the past."

Oniisan started to walk away, "Where are you going Oniisan?"

"I'm going to get some breakfast, you should do the same thing before you start your Shift." Oniisan said to Ototo, "I'm not hungry."

"Ototo, if there's any trouble call us, don't interfere with him or any of the others and don't do anything stupid, got it?" Ototo looked up to his older brother, "I won't, and I'm not you."

Oniisan gave a small chuckle and left by jumping high into the air. Ototo just stood there after watching his older brother's high jump, 'Oniisan, at times you can be such a baka.' Ototo thought to himself.

'I think I can get a better look of the campus if I go to the roof.' With that, he too jumps from the ground for the alley to the roof of the shops and run along them to the school.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the both of them, they were not the only ones spying. From high above the clock tower, two other hooded figures we watching all the girls run to the school and saw who they need to see, "There he is, just like the mistress said he would be." One of the figures said in a masculine voice.

Both of the figures were wearing black and gray cloaks with their hoods up.

The first figure was an average height male about six feet tall, while the second figure was nowhere as tall as him, but he was very wide, "So, do we attack now?" asked the second figure, his voice was gruff, low and harsh.

"No, no, not yet. We don't want to hurt those innocent girls." the first man said.

The second man laughed at what his friend said, "Ha-ha-ha-ha, since when do we care about the innocent people?"

"It was the mistress' orders." the first man said.

He placed his hand on his short friend's shoulder, "Eton...you know what you are going to do." His tone had some seriousness to it, "The first chance you get, execute the plan." Eton nodded his head, "No problem."

The first man walks to the edge of the roof of the clock tower, "Eton, if you screw this up, you will have to answer to the mistress." with those final words, he jumps off the roof and disappears.

Eton looks to the school as one name escapes his lips, his voice filled with hatred, "Negi Springfield"

* * *

"I can't believe we made it." Negi said out of breath, Asuna and Konoka were right behind him, leaning on the lockers for balance. Konoka agreed with Negi, "If it wasn't for Asuna-" "How many times do I have to apologize?" said Asuna cutting off Konoka.

"Asuna, Konoka, go ahead to class, I will be along shortly."

"Okay Negi-kun." Konoka said as she and Asuna headed off to the classroom.

Negi goes to his locker, when three people approach him, "Good morning Negi-kun."

Negi turns around and sees Saotome Haruna with a smile on her face and Ayase Yue and Miyazaki Nodoka behind her, "Good morning Negi-sensei." "G-good morning N-negi-s-sensei."

Negi smiled back at them, "Oh, good morning girls, I hope you three had a good night's sleep."

"We sure did Negi-kun," Haruna said, turn around and faced Yue and Nodoka, "but I think sleeping with a British teddy bear would have made it a great night's sleep, right girls?" Haruna whispered to Yue and Nodoka, which both had a full face blush.

"Nodoka-san, Yue-san, you're both red, do you have a fever?" Negi asked the both of them.

They both shook their heads, "No, we're fine sensei." they both still had a bit of a blush, Haruna just smiled, 'This is so much fun.'

They followed Negi to the lockers. Still unable to reach his locker, Negi stands on his tip-toes, trying to reach the locker, Nodoka, along with Yue and Haruna watched Negi's struggle.

Deciding to give the poor boy a break, Nodoka offered to help him, "Negi-sensei, let me hel-" but she didn't finish her question, when somebody already grab the locker's door and open it for Negi.

He looks at the person who help him and it is none other than Yukihiro Ayaka, "Why, Good morning Negi-sensei." Ayaka said with a pleasant voice and her face so radiant.

"Good morning Iincho-san, thank you for helping me." Negi politely thanked her. Ayaka smile got brighter, "It was no problem Negi-sensei, and I couldn't just stand by and not help." Ayaka said staring daggers at Nodoka, Yue and Haruna.

'No, I was about to help Negi-sensei.' Nodoka meekly thought to herself.

'I couldn't help Sensei, because I can't even reach up there.' Yue thought to herself. While Haruna thoughts were different than those of her friends, 'Nodoka was so close and you had to steal her chance Ayaka.'

"Well Negi-sensei, please allow me to escort you to our classroom." Ayaka offered after Negi put on his school shoes, "All right Iincho-san."

Nodoka, Yue and Haruna walked behind them and watch Ayaka having a conversation with Negi, "One of you will have to do something." Haruna whispered to Nodoka and Yue, "What do you mean Paru?" asked Yue.

"What do you think I mean? Ayaka is going to steal Negi away."

"That's not true Haruna," Nodoka said,. "It's true that Negi-Sensei cares about Ayaka, but then again he cares about all of us."

"Nodoka is right Haruna," Yue said, "To Negi; Ayaka is nothing more than a student and friend."

Haruna couldn't believe her friends, "I just hope for your sake, you're right." Neither Nodoka nor Yue would admit it, but there was a very small pang of jealousy as they saw Ayaka talking to Negi.

As they entered the classroom, Ayaka, Nodoka, and Haruna took their seats, Negi saw Asuna and Konoka were already in their seats. The whole class rose and bow to Negi, "Good Morning Sensei." His class greeted him, "Good Morning girls."

Before Negi could get the lesson started, he had to take attendance, "Sayo Aisaka", "Here Sensei" the resident ghost-girl call out. "Kazumi Asakura", "Here Negi-kun" Kazumi said giving Negi a wink, which caused him to blush.

This went on until he reached student #10, Karakuri Chachamaru. 'She's not her,' Negi thought to himself 'and if she not her, that means...' Negi looks to the desk Evangeline usually sits, 'yeah, Eva-san is not her either.'

* * *

On top of the roof of the Mahora building, was Karakuri Chachamaru being a sentry, watching the field from above, while Evangeline A.K. McDowell was taking a nap in the shade made by the staircase, 'I wonder what the boya is teaching today?' Evangeline thought to herself.

Chachamaru moved from her spot and walked over to Evangeline, "Master, may I ask you a question?" Chachamaru said to her.

"What is it Chachamaru?" Evangeline said to her with her eyes closed, hands behind her head.

"Do you think it was a good idea to cut Negi-sensei's class?"

Evangeline open one of her eyes and looked at Chachamaru, "If you miss him, why don't you go back to class yourself?"

Chachamaru blushed what her master had said about her missing the young professor. She answered Evangeline like she always does, "I always obey master's orders."

Evangeline closed her eye and went back to her nap, "How foolish."

Neither Evangeline nor Chachamaru could sense it, but they could hear the faint sounds of footsteps coming from the other side of the staircase. "Chachamaru?" Evangeline said, "I understand master." Chachamaru said and bowed her head, like she knew Evangeline's unsaid command.

From the other side of the staircase, the small hooded boy was quietly walking up against the wall, not want to let anybody or anything knew he was there. He was unaware of the little vampire on the opposite side.

'There is a tree right outside his classroom,' the small boy thought to himself, 'I can watch him through the windows and the leaves can give me the perfect cover.'

He moves closer to the edge of the wall and sticks his head out to see if anybody is there, 'Okay, across the roof and...' the boy stopped his thoughts when it gets darker.

While his left and right had sunlight, it seemed it was only dark where he was standing. He turned around and lift his head and saw Chachamaru standing right behind him, 'Oh, crap.'

Chachamaru grabbed the boy and wrapped her arm around his neck. The boy tried to break free from Chachamaru's grip, but the robot proved to be stronger than him.

He heard chuckling coming from the other side of the staircase and saw a small blond-headed little girl come into his sight.

Evangeline saw the small intruder in Chachamaru grip, small, the same height as Negi, wearing white robes with the hood up, covering the face. The child's feet dangling a few inches off the ground, "I must say, I'm a little disappointed, for someone to able to enter the magical barrier undetected is a pretty good skill, but I was expecting someone taller. Who are you?" Evangeline asked the small hooded figure, but she got no answer.

Evangeline walked slowly to the child. "I asked you a question, Who are you?" she asked him again, "What are you doing here? How did you avoid being detected? Answer me." The kid wouldn't give her a single word.

She kept watching as the hooded intruder struggled to get free from Chachamaru's hold. Evangeline was now right in front of the little intruder, "If you were trying to spy on me, you failed." Evangeline said giving the figure a wicked smile. "Still non-responsive I see. Well I don't to hear your voice to recognize you."

The small hooded boy saw Evangeline's hand reaching for his hood. If she saw his face then he has jeopardized the mission and his brothers and sister would be real angry at him. He was still in Chachamaru's grip and couldn't break free. He thought up a plan and hoped it would work, "Wait!"

Evangeline pulled back her hands, she got startled when the hooded intruder yelled in a boy's voice, "Well, it's seems that you decided to speak up after all. You don't want me to see underneath the hood, right?"

"Yes." He answered her. Evangeline's grin got wider, "Do you have anything you would like to say?"

She was right in front of him, it was now or never.

Evangeline leaned in to hear what he was going to say, "I am really sorry about this."

Evangeline was confused at what he said, but the feeling of confusion was replaced with the feeling of pain as the hooded boy swung his leg and kicked her across the face and sent her falling back.

"Master." Chachamaru's worry for her master was exactly what the boy had hoped for. Chachamaru's grip around his neck had loosen, which gave him the perfect opportunity.

He grabbed her arm and all of his strength pulls down himself down along with Chachamaru. As his feet touched the ground, he grabbed the collar of Chachamaru's shirt with one hand, her skirt with his other hand and threw her over his head and land right on Evangeline.

Evangeline's left cheek hurt so much, she placed her hand against it was red and a little swollen, 'That bastard, he is going to pay dearly for that.' She turned her head towards to the boy, but only got to see Chachamaru coming right at her and land on her.

Chachamaru quickly got off of her Evangeline and pick her up, "Master, are you alright?"

Evangeline was in daze, but gathered the strength to stand up by herself, "Of course I'm not alright you idiot," Evangeline sound irritated, her hand still on cheek, "I got kicked in the face and you land on me, nearly crushing me."

"Master, I didn't mean to do it on purpose." Chachamaru tried to explain it to her, "That mysterious young boy threw over and made me land on you."

Evangeline wanted to hurt the boy so badly, that he won't forget the pain for any time soon, but when she looked to the spot where he was standing, he was no longer there, "Where the hell did he go?" Evangeline looked everywhere around on the roof to find him. "Chachamaru, scan the area and find him."

"Yes master." Chachamaru obeyed Evangeline's order and her antenna ears open at the top and two small rods started to scan the roof, shinning red light as they turned in a circular motion.

Evangeline walked over to the end of the roof. Her cheek was throbbing with pain; she wiped the blood coming from her nose. She was extremely angry for what he did to her, "When I find him, he is going to learn not to mess with the Dark Evangel."

* * *

"Alright, I am going to assign you some homework." the whole class groan in disapproval at what he said, "Come on now, it's simple, just read the next passage in your Neo Horizon text books and do the exercise at the end."

The school bell rang and the girls stood up and bowed to Negi, "Class dismissed."

Negi started to gather his lessons notes into his folder, Ayaka approached his desk, "Negi-sensei, I must say I learned so much today because of your lesson."

Negi smiled and blushed a little, "Well, I'm glad to see the lesson did what it was meant to do." Ayaka was still at Negi's desk, "Was there something else you wanted Iincho-san?"

Ayaka smile got brighter, "Sensei, I was wondering if you can help me. There are some parts that I don't understand from yesterday's lesson and I would really appreciate your help, in fact, why don't you come over to my room." The whole class was now listening to the conversation between the two.

"Chizuru will be at her astronomy club and Natsumi has her theatrical club, so we'll have the room all to ourselves." Negi was at full cheek blush, he didn't know what to say, he didn't want to be rude, but he didn't want to be alone with Ayaka. Before he can give her a proper answer, someone butted in.

"Negi-kun, won't you come to see me practice?" Sasaki Makie said as she run up to Negi's desk.

"He is going with the members of the strolling club, right Negi-sensei?" The Narutaki twins also got into the conversation, as well as the cheerleaders, "Negi-kun, we have this new routine, don't you want to see it?"

Nodoka, Yue and Haruna watched as the girls seemed to be asking out Negi. Haruna turned to see Nodoka and Yue, expecting one of the two to ask Negi to the library or something, but neither of the two moved, 'Oh...I'll do it.' Haruna thought to herself.

"Negi-sensei," Everyone turned their attention to the door and saw Minamoto Shizuna standing at the doorway, "What is it Shizuna-sensei?"

"The Headmaster would like to see you right now," Shizuna sounded worried.

"Right now?" Negi asked, "Yes, and he wants to see Asuna, Konoka and Setsuna as well." Shizuna sounded even more worried.

As soon as Shizuna left, the girls began asking questions like, "What did you do?", "Why does the headmaster want to see the four of you?" and "You're not getting fired are you Negi-sensei?"

"I'm sure it's not too serious." Negi said to them, "We are going to see the dean; girls remember to do the homework I assign you." Negi said as he walked out the classroom with the other girls the headmaster wanted to see. What could it be this time that the headmaster needed to see them all together?

* * *

When they entered the headmaster's office, they saw him at his desk, sitting in his chair, his hands folded together and his head down, it looked like he was praying.

Chachamaru was by the couch, which they saw Evangeline laying on it, with tissue up one nostril and was holding an ice pack to her right cheek.

Negi was worried now, "You called for us Headmaster?" Negi timidly spoke out.

Negi's voice broke the Dean's praying-like trance, "Oh, Negi-kun, I didn't hear you come in," the dean then noticed the girls, "and I see that you brought the girls I mentioned." There was no smile on his face, Konoka took noticed of that.

"Grandfather, is everything all right? Something seems to be troubling you." Konoka's voice was full of fear.

The headmaster looked at Konoka's face and saw her worried look. He looked at the rest of the people in his office and knew this was not the time to pretend all was fine, "Something is troubling me; tell me do any of you know about the incident that happen in the Mahora suburbs today?"

Asuna was the first who answered, "YES!" her loud answer break the uncomfortable silence in the room. "I mean... the site of those craters, right?"

The headmaster leaned forward in his chair, "I don't think I mention anything about craters." Asuna felt like she had put her own foot in her mouth, "What do you know about it Asuna-kun?"

Asuna looked down at the floor as she answered the dean, "Well, I don't know much about it, just what I heard on the radio." she finished saying with a nervous laugh.

The headmaster looked from Asuna and then to Konoka. He knew his granddaughter wouldn't lie to him, "Konoka," Konoka looked at her grandfather, knowing he would want to know the truth, "Is Asuna telling me the truth?"

Konoka felt everyone's eyes on her, her knees were trembling, her hands were shaking and she felt like she was about to wet herself, "We...That is, Asuna...today on her...paper route..."

It took on more look from her grandfather for Konoka to break like a dam and the truth run free, "Asunasawthesitetodaywhenshetodeliverthepapertodayandshetookpicturesandtherewasthisman..." She was talking so fast, that the people in the room could only pick up a few words.

Her grandfather calmed her down, "Can please start from the beginning? It's very important that you tell me every little detail."

Asuna knew that the dean really wanted to know what she had seen and decided to the same thing she told to Negi and Konoka in the morning.

After recapping what Asuna saw at the site, the dean had to take in what she said, "Are you sure the man is a wizard?" Evangeline said looking through the photos on Asuna's camera phone. "I don't know, but I think he used the same spell that Negi uses that makes him run fast."

Evangeline passed the phone to the dean and saw the pictures, "What do you make of this Konoe?"

The dean looked at each pictures carefully. After doing so, he put his hand back together and rested his chin on them, "When I heard of the incident today, I sent one of the mage teachers to investigate." Everyone was around his desk as he continued, "He reported back and told me that he sensed magic."

Everyone was shocked at what the dean had just said, but he continued, "The first one he sensed was very faint, but he did pin-pointed it and it was coming from the craters. But the second one came from the direction Asuna's mystery man run to."

"Headmaster, was the teacher able to find him?" Negi asked.

"Unfortunately, the trail seemed to have just stopped in the middle of the streets, so we couldn't find the person." The dean said.

Asuna gave a disappointed groan, hoping that they had found the guy.

"So headmaster, do you think this one person caused the craters?" Setsuna had asked him.

The dean shook his head, "I don't know, but I don't think he came alone."

If it was possible, the look on everyone's face went from surprised to frighten.

Negi was the first to snap back to normal, "Headmaster what do you mean 'He didn't come alone'?"

"Calm down Negi-kun, I just meant to say that Asuna wasn't the only one that had an encounter with a hooded individual today." The dean said looking at Evangeline.

They all looked at Evangeline, who was still nursing an ice pack on her cheek "So, it's my turn to tell a story, eh?" She walked over to the couch and had a seat, "I might as well tell you, before the old man gives me the evil eye as he did Konoka." Everyone took a seat around Evangeline to hear her story, "I was on the roof with Chachamaru..."

After Evangeline had told the events of what happened to her and Chachamaru, it took a minute before Negi asked the question that was on his mind "The roof is where you go when you skip my class?" Everybody just fell to the floor at the stupid question.

Evangeline smack him at the back of his head "THAT ISN'T IMPORTANT!" her yells went throughout the room, "What is important is that the boy entered the barrier without me detecting it and he obviously didn't want me seeing his face."

"So, it was that boy who did that this to you?" Konoka asked Evangeline.

"Yeah, that kid had a kick like a mule." she moved the ice pack from her cheek; the swelling was starting to go down.

"You don't say." Negi said, rubbing the back of his head where Evangeline had hit him. He turned his head from Evangeline and to Chachamaru, "What about you Chachamaru-san? You're not hurt, are you?"

The professor's concern for Chachamaru, had caused her to blush, "I'm quite alright Negi-sensei." she said looking down so he wouldn't see her blushing.

"Of course she's alright, she landed on me and besides it's not like she can feel anything." Evangeline said annoyingly.

"Eva-chan, that's mean." Konoka said.

"Whatever." she replied. No one could see Chachamaru's hurt expression.

The dean cleared his throat to get their attention, "We have a serious problem here, don't you all agree?" They all nodded their heads, "There are two people who can conceal their magic, which is going to make them difficult to find. They have caused some destruction in the town and we don't know how many there could be."

"What do you think they were here for Headmaster?" Negi asked him.

The dean shook his head, "I don't know, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's the Kyoto incident all over again."

"You mean, they could be here for Ojou-Sama?" Setsuna asked alarmingly.

"Maybe," the dean said, "but, I don't want to take the chance and find out. Like I said we don't know how strong they really are and how many there are."

He looked at the students in his office, "Negi-kun, Asuna-kun and Setsuna-kun," They looked at the dean, "I want you to watch after my granddaughter, understood?"

"Yes sir." They said as if addressing a general.

"Do you have any plans this afternoon?" He asked them, to which Negi responded "I have practice with Eva-san."

"Good idea, you will all go to Eva-kun cabin." He told them, "In fact, you may have to stay overnight."

"Now wait a minute," Evangeline said up to the dean's face, "It's bad enough that the boya and his friends come to my place and train, but now you expect me to let them sleep my cabin, eat my food and use my bathroom?"

"Well, yes." The dean told her, "If the person knows where Konoka goes to school, then he might know where Konoka lives."

He got off of his chair and walked around his desk to Evangeline and Chachamaru, "With Chachamaru there to assist Negi-kun, their strength is better."

Evangeline looked away from the others and out the window, "Alright fine, they can stay," everyone had a smile on their face, they were grateful. Evangeline then looked at Negi, "Besides, if I get thirsty in the middle of the night, I can come down and have a little sip." she said licking her lips.

Negi felt uncomfortable at the moment.

* * *

They left the school, Evangeline in the front with Chachamaru next to her, Negi next to Konoka and Setsuna and Asuna follow behind them.

"So with these new people, what do you think they'll want Konoka for this time?" Negi asked to no one in particular.

"Who knows?" Asuna answered, "Probably the same thing as last time, make her a mindless slave and use her power to summon a demon."

"I'm not going to let that happen." Setsuna said bravely "Whoever they are, they are not going to get Ojou-sama." They all stopped walking at looked at Setsuna.

Konoka smiled with a blush on her face, "Se-chan, you really care about me, don't you?"

Setsuna was caught off guard at what Konoka had said and had a blush herself, "I...uh, I do...we should continue, right?"

Everybody was holding in their laughs and continued towards Evangeline's cabin.

They saw the cabin as they exited the woods, Evangeline took a little moment before they got any closer to go over the rules, "Now before you came inside, wipe your feet, don't touch any of my potions or dolls and you'll be sleeping in the-" Evangeline stopped going over her list, when she sensed something.

Negi, Setsuna and Chachamaru had sensed it too.

"What is it you guys?" Konoka asked, worried because they'd stopped and they had such a serious look on their faces.

Asuna was worried as Konoka, "Are you four okay?"

Negi turned and faced Asuna and Konoka, "We sense magic and its close." No sooner that said that, everyone started to get ready for whatever was coming.

Negi had his staff in his hands, Asuna with her card in one hand, Setsuna moved closer to Konoka and her hand on her sword's hilt and Chachamaru in her fighting stance.

As the magic was getting closer, they looked all around to see where it was coming from, the forest, near the cabin and by the river, nothing.

They could sense it, but not see where it was coming from or what was giving it away.

"Anybody see anything?" Evangeline asked.

They all shook their heads.

It was getting closer, "This is ridiculous." Setsuna said, staying close to Konoka, "If it's not coming from the woods, the river, or by Eva-chan's cabin, where is it then? Underneath the ground?"

Her little joke gave them an idea, if it wasn't coming from the forest and it was impossible for it to come beneath them, which left one place. They all turned their heads and looked up and they saw a dark object falling from the sky.

It hit the ground with a powerful force. It shook the ground and everyone tried to keep their balance. A dust cloud was formed by the dark object, everyone huddle together and were curious to what had landed.

As the cloud settled, they saw like a huge rock, covered in a black cloth and then it spoke, "It's about time." It said in a low, harsh tone, "Do you know how long I've been waiting?"

Negi was the one who spoke first "Who are you? What do you want?" he asked gripping his staff tightly.

"My name is Eton." He said, "But that doesn't matter, because you won't remember it for long. As for what I want, is to kill."

They all gather together around Konoka, creating a barrier around her "I won't let you lay a finger on Ojou-sama." Setsuna said in a strong voice."

"Ojou-sama?" Eton said, "No, not here for the girl. I'm here to kill you, Negi Springfield." All the girls in the group looked at Negi with a scared look on their face at what Eton said.

Negi was a little shaken at what Eton said, "Me? You're here to kill me? But why?" Negi asked him.

"I have my reasons." Eton said to him.

Asuna, Setsuna and Chachamaru moved in front of Negi to protect him "If you want him, you will have to go through us. Got that Shorty?"

"Shorty?" He started to lift his body. His bones made loud cracking sounds as he straighten himself up. He was getting taller and taller; he passed the girl's height. When he stopped fixing his body, his black cloak fell off him and he showed his true form.

He stood eleven feet tall, had muscular arms, chest and legs that were cover by a pair of jeans that seemed that were about to split in two. Gray skin, no hair, but had what looked like a shark's fin on the top of his head. Razor sharp claws and teeth that was too big for his mouth. His eyes were black as coal, no pupils' just dark eyes. "Who are you calling Shorty, Shorty?" Eton said with an evil grin.

The girls and Negi were taken back at what they see, a giant demon who was here to hurt them and kill Negi. "It's going to take more than muscle and size to stop us, _Adeat." _Asuna said calling on her weapon.

"Kagurazaka Asuna, you can negate magic spells, so I'll use brute force on you."

Eton shifted his sight from Asuna to Setsuna, "Sakurazaki Setsuna, student of the Shinmei-ryu school and a winged hanyo. After I defeat you, I'll rip off your wings and keep them as a trophy." He said as his grin got bigger.

"You know us?" Setsuna asked him

"I know all of you," Eton answered back and looks at Konoka, "Konoe Konoka is the granddaughter of the dean of Mahora Academy and is a healer mage, so not much of a threat."

He then looked at Chachamaru, "...Spri...no, Karakuri Chachamaru, an android powered by magic."

His gaze then fell upon Evangeline, "Evangeline A.K. McDowell, also known as the 'Undying Mage', 'The Dark Evangel', 'The Apostle of Destruction' and so many other names. I should be honored to be in your presence."

Evangeline smiled back at Eton, "Well you should be, because there is no one that can defeat me."

Eton just laughed "Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha...you misunderstood me. I said 'I should be honored', but I'm not. The 'Thousand Master' sealed away your magic and you are stuck at this school and it's ground, so basically you are as dangerous as a normal ten year old girl." Eton saw Evangeline anger in her face and he continued to laugh.

Evangeline just can't stand anyone laughing at her. Worse to mention Nagi's alias and making her feel like a weakling was enough to push her over the edge and she charged at Eton.

"Master!" Negi and Chachamaru both tried to stop her.

Eton picked her up with his hand, "Such a cute little thing, aren't you?" He said mocking her.

"Let...me...GO!" Evangeline demand.

Eton nodded, "Oh, sure thing," and he threw her into the river, "How's that? Aha-Ha-Ha-Ha."

"Evangeline!" Her friends cried out. While Konoka went to save Evangeline, Chachamaru charged to Eton, jumped and punched him in the face with all her strength.

Eton didn't even flinch and he grabbed Chachamaru's arm and held her by it, "So low-tech, you should be more powerful than this." He threw Chachamaru against the wall of the cabin at full force and her right leg broke off at its hinges on her knee, sparks flying out of there.

"Alright, who's next?" Eton asked and saw Asuna and Setsuna coming at him through the air, wielding their swords in their hands, about to strike his head.

As quick as lighting, he transformed his right arm into a sword and blocked their attack, "Close, but no cigar girls." He transformed his left hand into a war hammer and slammed it into Asuna and Setsuna.

They both fell up against a tree landing on either side of Negi, both with broken ribs and coughing up blood, "Now that the little girls are out of the way, we can finish this Springfield." Eton said as his arms changed back and began to walk towards Negi.

The ground shook with each step he took. He was getting closer, Negi gripped his staff harder and used a spell, _"Sagitta Magica Series Lucis_." and seven arrows of light came out of Negi's staff and shot right to Eton's chest.

Eton looked down at his chest. Completely unharmed, He looked up and smiled at Negi, "Do you want to try that again?" He asked him.

_"Sagitta Magica Series Lucis_." Another set of arrows came and shot Eton in the chest, still no damage.

"One more time." He told Negi.

Negi didn't know what was wrong, his arrow are much stronger than this_, "Sagitta Magica Series Lucis_." The arrows still didn't leave a mark on Eton. Negi was getting tired.

"Negi-sensei, stop. He is just making you use all of your magic." Setsuna said through all the pain.

Eton nodded, "She's right Negi." He lowered his hand and flicked him into a tree, as if he was a bug.

Negi felt as if a car had hit him. His back hurts; he can't move his right arm and his bleeding from a cut on his forehead. His staff flies over near the river, where Konoka had retrieved Evangeline.

Eton was now in front of the Negi, "The reason it didn't work, is because my skin is stronger than diamond." he told Negi as he pounded his own chest.

Eton transformed his arm into a sword again, "I have waited so long for this day."

Negi struggled to sit straight, "What did I ever do to you?" He asked Eton.

Eton shook his head, "Nothing... well nothing yet, but you will." He raised his sword-arm into the air for the final strike.

"NEGI!" His students screamed all unable to do anything. They were about to lose their most precious friend.

Negi saw the sword come closer. It will all be over in a matter of seconds; he closed his eyes and waited for the pain, 'Father.' Negi thought out one last time, as a single tear fell from his eye.

'CLANK!'

Negi heard the sound. It was taking a long time for the sword to hit him. But when he opened his eyes, the sword had stopped midway. It was being block by a staff much similar to his, except it had a blue orb at the top of it. Negi saw who was holding the staff, somebody in white cloak.

This person had just saved his life.

* * *

Author's note: Who saved Negi? What will happen to the girls? Why does Eton want to kill Negi? Read on to find out what's going to happen.


	3. Chapter Two

Author's Note: Before the chapter starts, I want to say thanks to two people who helped me and inspired me to write and continue with my story. Ambrant Arandel and heroes1202, both author of great stories, I give them my thanks and appreciation. Especially to Ambrant Arandel for giving me his permission to use some of his material from his stories and put in mine. So reader, if in the future chapters, some parts remind you of Ambrant's work, don't think I have stolen it, I ask him via e-mail and he gave me the go-ahead. Enough of this, on with the story.

* * *

The Children of the Pactio

Chapter Two

It is said that your whole life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die.

Negi found that to be true.

From the moments of spending time with Nekane and Anya, to the winter when his village was attacked and meeting his father for the first and only time, Negi saw it all.

After seeing his life, he should be dead, but he wasn't.

A demon, who transformed his arm into a sword and swung it overhead, aiming to slice Negi down the middle, should have killed the boy mage, but it didn't.

At that last moment, as the sword was coming closer, someone rushed in between Negi and the demon that called himself Eton and blocked the attack with a staff.

"What the...?" Eton was surprised someone had managed to stop one of his sword strikes with a just a staff.

"Aaarrgh!" Eton pushed down on the staff with all his strength, trying to break it in two.

The mystery savior used all of its strength to keep Eton's sword back and not hitting Negi.

The stranger pushed back Eton and thunderous footsteps were made as he fell back away from Negi.

The stranger stood up, with its staff in its left hand, it raised its right arm and made what seemed to be a ball of wind the size of a basketball in its right hand. The stranger then charged across the field to Eton.

Eton had little time to straighten himself, as he saw the stranger running right at him, with an attack in its hand.

As the stranger was getting closer, Eton swung his sword, aiming for the stranger's head.

However, the stranger anticipated this and as it saw the sword, it ducked and rolled under the sword. The stranger was right under Eton's gaze and slammed the ball of wind right into Eton's gut, not enough to rip a hole in him, but enough to send Eton flying backwards and deep into the forest.

Negi could feel the wind from the attack from where he was sitting. The attack was so powerful, that the leaves on the trees shook, the water in the river was pushed all to one side for a couple of second and it was powerful enough to tear off the uniforms of the girls, thankfully that didn't happen.

The stranger looked at the knocked down trees caused by Eton flying into them. The stranger knew it would only be a matter of minutes before Eton would return, it needed to move fast.

The stranger looked around and saw all the injured people. Asuna and Setsuna struggled to get up, Chachamaru tried to reattach her leg and Konoka and Evangeline were over to where Negi was, seeing to his injuries.

The stranger walked over to them.

Negi, Evangeline and Konoka saw the stranger approach them, Konoka got up, stretched out her arms and made a barricade between Negi and the stranger, "I'm not letting you hurt Negi-kun." Konoka said with her eyes full of tears.

The stranger saw as Asuna and Setsuna tried to get up and rush over to Konoka, but fell down, writhing from the pain of their broken ribs.

The stranger looked back at Konoka and shook its head, the stranger than placed its hand on Konoka's shoulder and gently moved her out of the way and walk over to Negi, where Evangeline was at his side.

The stranger kneeled down by Negi and examined him, from top to bottom.

Negi saw as the mysterious person was looking at his injuries, but he couldn't see under the hood.

"Are you okay Negi?" He heard the hooded stranger ask him in a feminine voice. "Do you think you can walk?" she asked him.

Negi sat up straight against the tree, "My back...My back hurts." He then tried to lift his right arm, "I think my arm is sprained."

The mystery girl gently touched Negi's arm and saw that it was indeed sprained. "Evangeline-san, go and open the door to your cabin."

The hooded girl then looked at Konoka, "Konoe-san, go and get Sakurazaki-san and take her inside." She turned around and looked at Asuna, "Kagurazaka-san, do you think you can walk?"

Asuna got up from the ground with all her strength, "Yea... Yeah, I think I can." Asuna answered her, though her knees wobbled at the strain of holding her up.

"Wait a minute," Evangeline said getting up from her spot next to Negi, her clothes dripping wet from when she was thrown into the river, "Who do you think you are ordering me around?"

The hooded girl faced Evangeline, but Evangeline couldn't see her face, "It's not an order, but a request Evangeline-san, we don't have much time." The mysterious girl said to her looking towards to forest, the direction Eton went.

Evangeline gave no struggle and walked towards her cabin to unlock the front door.

The hooded girl put her staff on her back and gently picked up Negi bridal style, while Konoka picked up Setsuna, her arm over Konoka's shoulder as Konoka help Setsuna walk.

Asuna walked along with them, dragging her injured leg along the ground, as they all went to Evangeline's cabin.

"Karakuri-san, just wait right there, I'll come back for you." She said to Chachamaru, who was still trying to get up.

As they entered the cabin, the hooded girl laid Negi softly on the couch, as Asuna and Setsuna both took a seat on the couch.

While Evangeline went upstairs to change into some dry clothes, Konoka was try to get everyone comfortable, "Konoe-san," the mystery girl call to Konoka, "try to heal Sakurazaki-san as much as you can." She then turned to Asuna and Negi, "You two, sit here and rest, I'm going to go get Karakuri-san."

As the hooded girl left the cabin, she saw Chachamaru coming up the stairs of the cabin, with her broken leg in her hand. She was leaning up against the cabin for support, "I told you to stay where you were." the hooded girl said.

She helped Chachamaru up the stairs and inside the cabin, "Are you operating functionally?" She asked Chachamaru as she sat her on the couch.

"All systems are operating at half strength, now switching to reserved power." Chachamaru said, but the hooded girl shook her head "You don't have to do that, save your energy...you're not much help now." She looked at all the people in the room, "None of you are."

They all heard it, 'Boom...Boom...Boom' the sound of footsteps caused by something...or someone big.

"He's coming back." She pulled out three vials from beneath her cloak, filled with a green liquid inside and gave one each to Asuna, Setsuna and Negi, "Drink it, it will help heal your injuries."

As the hooded girl neared the door, Negi sat up on the couch "Where are you going?" he asked her.

The hooded girl turned around and faced him, "I'm going to go handle Eton." She said as took her staff from behind her back and gripped it in her hands. She walks out and closed the door behind her.

Everyone else looked at each other and didn't say a word.

Konoka started to heal Setsuna, while Negi drank the strange liquid inside. Asuna moved to the window to see the mystery girl.

* * *

'Boom... Boom... Boom.' The sound of giant footsteps was getting closer and with every step, the ground would shake. 

The hooded girl stood in the middle of the field, hearing the footsteps getting closer and closer, waiting for Eton to make his move.

Her heart beated with every step she heard, the leaves on the tree shook, the river had a ripple effect caused by Eton's footsteps, he was close now.

Then all of a sudden 'Boom...Boom...' it stopped.

The hooded girl hasn't expected this. She didn't know where Eton would come from now.

The grip on her staff was getting tighter and tighter, she was preparing for what would happen next.

She looked left and looked right, but she could see any sign of him.

Just to be sure she looked up, in case he decided to drop in as he did with Negi and the others.

The sound of a branch snapping brought the girl's attention to the spot where Eton flew through, but as she saw in its direction, a log was coming right at her.

At that moment, the mystery girl did a split and lean all the way back so her back touched the ground.

She saw the log fly overhead and smash against a tree, breaking into slightly larger pieces.

The girl got up from the ground and saw the broken log. She turned her attention from the log and to direction the log came from and saw Eton coming from the shadows.

"At first, I didn't know who you were, because there are so many people who would come and help Negi." Eton said in his gruff voice as he came closer to the hooded girl.

"But when I saw your staff and the ball of wind, in which you hid a delayment spell inside of it, to buy you enough time to get inside the cabin, I knew there is one person smart enough to do it...Natsuko."

Eton was now a foot away from her. He turned his head to the cabin, "Everyone's inside, eh? Well, that just makes my job easier."

"The only way you're going to lay your filthy hands on them is through me." Natsuko said pointing her staff at Eton.

Eton cranked his head back at her, "Heh...I was hoping you'd say that Natsuko."

Eton transformed his right arm into an ax and swung it across at her, however she was anticipating such an attack and jump high into the air, before the sword could touch her.

Eton looked up and saw Natsuko in the air. She points her staff at Eton and lighting shot from the blue orb on it.

* * *

"So her name is Natsuko." Asuna said as she, Negi, Konoka and Setsuna saw the fight between her and Eton from the window of the cabin. 

"That is a very beautiful name." Negi said as he saw her dodge Eton attacks.

"Negi, what are you doing standing up? Aren't you hurt?" Asuna asked in a worried tone.

Negi shook his head, "Actually, I feel quite fine. In fact, I feel all better." He held the empty vial in his hand, "Whatever this is, it really worked."

"You drank it Negi-sensei?" Setsuna asked him leaning on the side wall.

Negi saw Asuna and Setsuna still had their vials in their hands, "You two didn't drink yours? Why not?"

"Negi you idiot." Asuna said with an aggravated tone, "You don't know if it was poison. She could be trying to kill you."

"Asuna's right Negi-kun." Konoka said, "We don't know anything about her, just her name. We don't know if she's human underneath her cloak."

"You should have let me analyze the vial, Negi-sensei." Negi turn his view from the fight outside to Chachamaru still on the couch, "I would have told you if it poisonous." Chachamaru said, while she was still trying to reattach her leg.

Negi walked from the window and sat next to Chachamaru, he could still hear the battle going on outside, "I didn't want to you to use up what little power you had left by checking the vial for me Chachamaru."

She looked into Negi's eyes, "I want you...to get better Chachamaru." The gears in her chest were moving faster.

"But if she doesn't get better, I can always ask Hakase to build me a new, stronger, more powerful robot." Negi saw Evangeline coming down the stairs in dry clothes, drying her hair with a towel.

"Evangeline-san, that's a mean thing to say to Chachamaru." Negi said to her.

"Whatever, so what happen to the mystery girl who saved your skinny ass?" Evangeline said to Negi walking past him and Chachamaru and over to the window.

"Well you see, she went out and-"

'BOOM!'

Negi stopped talking when he heard a strong explosion coming from outside.

* * *

Natsuko proved to be a worthy fight for Eton. She dodged every swing, blow and strike. 

Luckily for him, all of her spells didn't do any harm on him.

Natsuko was out of breath, she needed to think up a plan and quick. She doesn't know how long she can go on. She was by herself; her brothers aren't here to help her.

Eton transformed his arm from an ax and into a sword.

He gave a big, evil grin at Natsuko, "I have to say Natsuko, you're without a doubt one of the finest female mages I had the pleasure of knowing."

Natsuko gripped her magic staff tight; she had no idea what he was planning.

Eton continued his monologue, "It's a shame we never had the...'pleasure.'" Eton said with a grin.

Natsuko threw up a little in her mouth, but forced it back down "Sorry, I don't go out with those who threaten my family."

* * *

"Family?" Everyone inside the cabin heard what she said. 

"What do you think she means by that?" Konoka asked, unfortunately no one had an answer.

* * *

Eton shook his head, "Oh well, it was fun fighting with you Natsuko." He said. 

Natsuko saw Eton raise his right leg and slam his foot into the ground hard, causing the ground shake violently.

* * *

Inside the cabin, the walls shook, chairs turned over, plates and glass were falling off of the cabinets and everyone was trying to grab a hold on something, so they couldn't fall down.

* * *

Natsuko herself was trying to keep her balance as the ground beneath her feet shook. 

She saw as Eton was coming at her, raising his sword-arm, about to swing it at her.

She jumps out of the way, but was unsuccessful and Eton's sword managed to slash her on her left arm.

She lands near the tree, where the log had been slammed into it. Blood stained her white robes from the gash she got from Eton.

She knew what he did. He wanted to cause the tremor, so the ground would shake making her lose her balance, unable to get a good jump.

Eton was really trying to kill now, that leaves her with no choice.

"You are proving to be a real problem Natsuko. I thought I had you right there." Eton looked at his sword that had a bit of Natsuko's blood.

He brought the blade to his mouth and licked the blood off of it, "Mmm...The blood of a virgin, delicious."

Natsuko was enraged by what Eton did and said. She pointed her staff towards him and shot another bolt of lightning at him.

It hit him, but still no effect, she had to find some way to hurt him, "You can keep doing that forever. But like I said, my skin is harder than diamond."

Natsuko had to think fast, the pain in her left arm was getting worse, 'His skin is harder than diamond.' She thought to herself. 'My attacks won't work on him, because his skin is harder than..."

Then, an idea struck her and a plan, but she would need... 'A-ha.' She reach down, not taking her eyes off of Eton and grab piece of wood from the broken log.

'Now I need for the right moment.' Her arm was throbbing in pain.

"When I kill Natsuko, I know you will be lonely in the afterlife. But don't worry; I'm going to send everyone in the cabin to join you, Aha-Ha-Ha-Ha..."

'NOW!'

Natsuko ran quickly across the field, towards Eton, she has one shot.

She has her staff in her left hand and the chuck of wood in her right. As she got close enough, she jumps at him and lands on his shoulders, facing him.

As he laughs, she shoves the piece of wood in his mouth, leaving it open.

"You might be tougher than diamond...on the outside, but on the inside you must be different." Natsuko rammed her hand inside Eton mouth and began to recite her spell.

_"Sagitta Magica Series Fulgurales!" _Natsuko recited her spell at fast speed and arrows of lighting shot from her hand and into Eton's mouth.

Eton could feel the lighting enter his body.

His blood started to boil and his organs began to cook.

The lighting shot straight up his spine and began to burn his brain.

He was shaking from all the electricity going through inside his body "AAAAHHH!"

Natsuko saw as blood came out of Eton's ears and eyes. She pulled out her arm and jump down from Eton.

He coughed up a pool of blood. He stood still for a few more seconds and then he began to lean forward and fell down, causing the ground to shake again.

Natsuko grabbed her left arm with her right hand.

She walked slowly over to Eton's body, she was being very cautious. She looked at his face, listens to his breathing...but, there wasn't any.

Eton was dead.

* * *

From within the cabin, the spectators saw the death battle between a girl and a demon. 

"I can't believe what I have just seen." Negi said, shocked at how the hooded girl had defeated the giant monster.

"You have better believe Negi." Asuna said, just as shocked, "That girl just fried a demon."

Evangeline looked out the window to the scene, "I have to say that I'm a little bit impressed. But I want to ask her some questions."

"You might get the chance Eva-chan, because here she comes." Konoka said pointing at her outside the window as the hooded girl walked towards the cabin.

* * *

Natsuko was tired. 

She walks up the stairs of the cabin, dragging her staff in her left arm.

The bleeding had stopped, but it still hurted, 'I hope they are feeling better.' She thought to herself as she reached the door.

As she opened the door, she expected everyone on the couch recuperating.

She didn't expect to have Setsuna at the door, holding her sword at her face. Asuna held her paper fan at her body.

Natsuko looked at both of the hurt swords-women and saw that they still had the green vials in their hands, "Why didn't you drink what I gave?" She asked them in a frustrated tone.

"We don't trust those whose face we can't see." Setsuna said to her, her sword still at her face.

Asuna agreed, "Yeah, besides how do we not know if it's poisoned or something."

Natsuko looked all around the living room of the cabin.

Setsuna and Asuna stood in front of her, weapons pointed at her. Negi and Konoka stood right behind them. She saw Evangeline by the window, arms crossed at her chest, giving her a cold stare. She saw Chachamaru reattaching her leg with a tool box on the coffee table; she joined Negi and the others.

She shouldn't have entered the cabin again. She should've left when she killed Eton, but she needed to be sure if they were alright. She knew she wasn't follow her brother's orders, but their safety came first. She felt completely terrible from the looks she was receiving.

Negi saw the girl lowering her head, as if she was upset. Everyone was looking at her, not saying a word.

This girl was not an enemy and if she meant to harm them, she would have done it by now.

"Thank you for saving me out there." He said to her.

Everybody looked at Negi, "Negi..." Asuna was about to say, when the hooded girl answered back, "You don't have to thank me, I wanted to do it."

Everyone moved aside and a path was made with Negi at one end and the hooded girl at another.

Negi saw her still holding her left arm "Come inside and we'll see what we can do about that cut." Negi said extending his arm to the couch.

She hesitated a second, she should leave and get back to her brothers, but the throbbing in her arm made her think otherwise.

She nodded her head and walked past the other girls and took a seat on the couch.

Negi felt a punch to the back of his head.

He grabs the back of his head and rubbed the spot to ease the pain. He turned around and saw it was Evangeline who punched him.

"You baka. What do you think you're doing? This isn't your home. Don't go inviting strange people here." Evangeline said very sternly.

"Negi-sensei, I have to say that you are too trusting." Setsuna said standing next to Konoka.

"She's right Negi." Asuna said nodding her head, "When it comes to other people, you are too stupid to..."

The hooded girl shot out of the couch and stood up, "He's not stupid!" She yelled to Asuna.

Everybody looked at her. Her sudden outburst caused Setsuna to tighten her grip on her sword, Asuna to have her paper fan ready and Chachamaru next to Evangeline.

Though her hood still covered her face, they knew she was angry a little bit.

Negi saw the cut on her arm had started to bleed again. "Evangeline-san, may I use your kitchen?" he asked her.

"Uhh...sure." Evangeline said, she was still looking at the hooded girl.

They all heard the sound of the faucet running. All the girls in the room continued to watch the hooded girl as she sat back down on the couch.

A few minutes later, Negi came back with a red bowl filled with warm water and a wash cloth.

He took a seat next to the hooded girl "Can you get your arm out of your sleeve?" he asked her.

"Yes." she answered him.

It hurted her to move her arm, but she managed to get her left arm out of the sleeve.

The slash was diagonally on her forearm, three inches wide and was bleeding a little bit.

"I'm washing the area of the cut, cleaning off the blood." He said as the blood was being washed off.

She didn't take her eyes off him.

The rest of the girls watched, as Negi helped treat the stranger.

They looked at each other, some worried, because the stranger could attack them after Negi was done.

The others were surprised that the mystery girl let herself be taken care of by a boy younger than her.

Negi was finishing up, "Well, that cleans off the blood. But, I don't know what we can do about that gash." He told the hooded girl. "Konoka-san, do you think you can heal a gash this big?" Negi asked her.

"I'm sorry Negi-kun." Konoka said. "I can only heal injuries in the first three minutes when they occurred. I still need more training." She told him.

"That's alright Konoka-san." Everyone turned and saw as the hooded girl pulled out two vials, both filled with the same green liquid she gave Negi and the sword wielders.

She opens the first one and poured it over the gash. It burned her as the gash began to shrink until it was gone, it left no scar.

"It's really painful everytime." She said as she blew over the area where the gash was. "But, I hate this even more." She opens the second vial and drank all of the green liquid inside.

"Yuck...they could never improve on the taste." She said as she put away hers and Negi's vials into a bag attached to a belt around her waist.

She looked at Asuna and Setsuna "The green stuff is a super stimulant. It heals any injury, internal or external."

They both at each other. They opened the vials and drank up the stimulant "That's nasty." Asuna said as she and Setsuna gave back the vials to the hooded girl.

Negi took this chance to ask her a question "Why did that demon want to kill me?"

She looked at Negi "I'm sorry, but I can't say why..."

"After what has happened you better tell us." Evangeline said coming around the couch and stood right in front of her.

The rest of the girls began to ask other questions "Where did he come from?" asked Konoka.

"How did he know where to find us?" Asuna asked.

"Why couldn't we sense him earlier?" asked Evangeline.

But Negi asked the question that was on his mind when she first appeared "Can you tell us who you are?"

The cloaked girl got up from the couch, "Look, I'm really sorry, but I can't tell you. No matter how much I want to, I just can't tell or let you know anything about me and why I'm here." She said as she walked towards the door.

"We know the demon's name is Eton." Setsuna said as she moved to the door to stop the girl from leaving.

"You're a mage that has studied western magic." said Evangeline, she too moved to the door.

The hood girl was getting nervous. Everybody was getting closer, how much did they know she wondered.

"We also know you're name is Natsuko and for some reason, you called us your family." Asuna said, placing her hand on the door, so the girl couldn't open it.

"So... you also know my name." She said as she tried to open the door, but with no results as Asuna's strength proved too much for her.

She saw everyone looking at her; she was feeling more uncomfortable now than she was before.

"Please," Negi said, "all we want to know is what this all about."

The hooded girl saw the look on Negi's face.

Worried, yet concerned.

A man who worries about others and puts them in front of himself.

That's what she admires about him. She moves away from the door and slowly moves towards Negi.

"I could never lie to you, no matter the circumstances." She said to him, she looked down at Negi. Her mother was right; You could tell him anything. She looked back at the other girls, she couldn't lie to them either, after all they were her...

'I'm sorry big brother. I'm going to break you rules, but they deserve to know.' she thought to herself, they had a right to know.

"Alright, I'll tell you, but only what you need to know. No more, got it?" She said to them.

Everyone ran over to the couch and sat down. It was as if they were going to watch a movie.

The hooded girl stood in front of all of them, she felt like a doll on display, their eyes glued on her.

"My name is..." she hesitated, 'It's now or never.' she thought one last time "My name is...Natsuko...Springfield."

Everyone's mood went from curious to shock.

"WHAT?!?" The girls yelled loud enough that it could be heard outside the cabin.

"Did you just say Springfield?" Setsuna asked standing up from the couch.

"Negi, do you have any family that you haven't told us about?" Asuna asked him holding him up by the collar of her shirt.

"Not that I know of." He told her, gasping for air.

'Springfield? Could she be Nagi's daughter?' Evangeline thought to herself.

She gripped the arm rest of the couch, thinking of Nagi with another woman.

Chachamaru tried to loosen her grip before her tore the couch.

"So, are you a cousin of Negi-kun?" Konoka asked Natsuko.

Natsuko shook her head "No, I'm not his cousin, but I am related to Negi." She answered her.

"But if you're not a cousin and Negi is an only child, how are you related to him?" Asuna asked her.

"I am his daughter." Natsuko said calmly.

"MY WHAT?!?" Negi said loud enough, that the roof of the cabin almost came off.

"This is some kind of joke right, you aren't really his daughter." Asuna said hoping that it really was all a joke.

"This is no joke Asuna; I really am Negi's daughter." Natsuko said to her.

Everybody was getting more and more freaked out.

Natsuko saw that no one was believing her 'I guess I have no choice.' She reaches up for her hood and took it off.

They saw her face for the first time.

Long blue hair, the brown of her eyes, the forehead not as wide, but the face was similar. "I am the daughter of Negi Springfield and Ayase Yue." Natsuko said with a kind smile.

No one said anything, they all looked at Negi.

So many were going through his mind 'Saved life, killed demon, Natsuko, daughter, me, father, Yue, mother.' With all those thoughts in his head, he did the only thing that people do when they get more-than-usual news, he fainted.

"Negi!" The girls said to as he lay unconscious on the floor.

_Mahora Academy (Future)_

In the same snow covered field where Natsuko and her brothers had been, eight figures dressed in similar white cloaks could be heard arguing, "Are you sure you heard them correctly?" A tall hooded female asked one of the smaller people with her.

"I did hear them correctly sister. I wrote down the incantation they used to go back." The second person said in a girl's voice, handing her big sister a piece of paper.

"So we don't have the scroll, but if we recited the spell it might be as good." The third person said in a male voice. He had something big, wrapped in cloth on his back, attached with a chain.

"I don't mean to be mean," A fourth person said in a gentle female voice "but it's getting colder and these three might get sick." She said, two figures, smaller than anyone else each held on to each of her hands with their tiny hands.

"Are we going to go and see daddy and mommy?" The small boy on the left asked his sister.

"I want to see daddy and mommy too, I miss them so much." The figure in the front said with a little girl's voice.

"I can't wait to see what they used to be like." The figure said standing next to his big sister. He rubbed his hands in order to stay warm.

"Why did Natsuko-nee-chan leave without telling us?" The small girl on the right asked.

"I don't know, but we are going to find out why those four left and didn't tell us." The first figure said and she began to recite the incantation.

* * *

Author's note: Did you see that coming? Natsuko has revealed herself. What are her brothers going to say? With Eton dead, who is she going to fight next? Eight more time travelers from the future, who are they? Will we ever get to meet them all? 

You are going to have to read to find out. See you readers soon.


	4. Chapter Three

The Children of the Pactio

Chapter Three

_It was a field, no more like an ocean._

_An ocean of endless grass._

_Grass as far as he could see. _

_Negi didn't know where it began and where it ended._

_He saw the world tree in the distance and ran towards it._

_When he got there, he saw all of his students around the tree._

_Most of them were talking amongst themselves. Some were under the tree resting, reading, eating or playing._

_He saw Asuna, Konoka and Setsuna running towards him, "Negi!" They called out._

_Negi waved to them, "Negi!" He heard them getting louder. _

_The sun was in his face and he couldn't see very well._

_He felt hands on him. Those hands began to shake him as the world around him began to disappear. He was still being shaken as he felt slight smacking on his face, "Negi, Wake up."_

'_Wake up?' Negi thought to himself as he open his eyes and saw he was no longer in a field, but in Evangeline's cabin.

* * *

_

"Asuna, he's waking up, stop hitting his face." Konoka said. She sat on her knees next to Negi's side.

"What happened to me?" Negi said groggily, rubbing the side of his face where Asuna was smacking it.

"You hit the floor pretty hard when you fainted." Asuna said as she helped him up off the floor.

Negi still felt a little dizzy, "Why did I faint?" He asked trying to keep his balance.

Asuna, Konoka and Setsuna looked at each other, "Well, because…" Asuna pointed to the couch.

Negi looked at where Asuna was pointed at. He saw the girl that said she was his and Yue's daughter, "I didn't imagine it." He said and fainted again.

"Negi-kun!" Konoka catch him in her arms.

"The boya can teach a class filled with over-active girls, takes on evil mages, fight demons. But when someone says that she is his child, he passes out like a man seeing his child being born." Evangeline says as Asuna tries to wake him for the second time.

"Actually, my mama said he did pass out when I was born. She thought he was used to it by now." Natsuko said giggling a little bit.

Chachamaru brought smelling salt to wake Negi up.

"You really are his daughter?" Setsuna said, still not believing what she is seeing. Natsuko looked just like Yue, but was taller and her forehead was smaller. Was she telling the truth?

"You still don't believe me, do you?" Natsuko reached into her cloak and pulled out a square piece of paper, "Look at this." She said as she gave it to Setsuna and Evangeline.

They looked at what Natsuko had given them as Asuna brought a conscious Negi over to the couch and made him sit down.

"We don't know how long he will stay like this, so speak fast before he is out like a light again." Asuna said to Natsuko.

Negi looked at Natsuko, not saying a word. It was like seeing a copy of Yue in front of him.

Natsuko felt like an animal at the zoo, being gawked at by the visitors.

Negi got up from his seat and walked over to Natsuko. He stopped and stood right in front of her.

Natsuko looked up and stared at him. Her mama was right, he was so cute when he was ten years old.

Negi took her face in his hands and looked at her very closely. She did look just like Yue. She had the same hair color, her face was a mix of his and Yue. But her eyes were the same brown color as his.

Asuna and Konoka saw as Negi examined his 'daughter'. They still couldn't believe it. It had to be some kind of trick or something.

"You are saying the truth, aren't you? This is no spell, you're not a creation by an enemy, right?" Negi said as he let go of her face.

"No, just the creation of Yue and you." Natsuko said with a giggle.

"I'm not buying any of this." Asuna said, her arms folded across her chest, "Just because you say you are the brat's little girl isn't enough proof."

"You want proof, take a look at this." Evangeline said pointing to the paper in Setsuna's hand.

Setsuna's mouth was open, as if she tried to say something, but couldn't get the words out. She passed the paper, which was a photo to Negi. Asuna, Konoka and Chachamaru got around him.

When Negi saw the photo, he couldn't believe what he saw in it.

At first he thought it was his father in the photo, he took a closer look and he knew it wasn't his him.

It was himself, but he was older. He had to be in his thirties, he almost looked just like his father, but the hair and eye color wasn't the same.

He found it more shocking when he saw the second person in the photo. It was Yue, all grown up. Her hair wasn't in two long pony tails, it was straight down and her chest was little more developed. Her head rested on adult Negi's shoulder and he had his arm around her shoulders.

Negi saw on Yue's hand, as well on his a wedding ring. In between the both of them, was a little girl sitting on their laps. They were all smiling in the picture.

Natsuko walked over to Negi, "That's you, mama and me when I was three years old." She said as she pointed to each one of the people in the photo.

Her story was getting more and more real by the second.

"This could be a fake." Asuna said taking the photo from Negi's hands, "How can we prove that this isn't made by computer or something." She didn't want to believe any of this.

"I know how we can find out to see if it's the real deal." Evangeline said taking it from Asuna and giving it to Chachamaru.

"Chachamaru, scan this and tell us if it was edited by computer or any other way."

Chachamaru began to scan the photos with the software programmed into her.

"Analysis complete. Photo is not doctored in any way, digitally or magically." She said handing the photo back to Negi.

"It can't be true." Asuna said.

She look back from Negi and then to Natsuko. They did look alike in some way, but it was impossible for Negi to have a daughter now, that would mean he was older than ten years old.

Konoka took the photo from Negi's hands, "Negi, you look so handsome and Yue is so beautiful." She said passing the back to Natsuko.

"I know, mama was always beautiful." She said. She looked at Negi, who sat back on the couch. "Papa?" Natsuko was worried about him.

When Natsuko called Negi papa, it brought back his attention to the present.

So many things were going around in his mind, but having someone call him papa was something new, something that he wasn't used to. It made him feel uncomfortable.

"Papa, are you alright?" Natsuko asked him. She was concerned for her father that she wants to help him in anyway she can.

"I...I never knew Yue cares about me like that." Negi said looking at Natsuko.

"Mama does care about you. She loves you so much papa. You make her so happy everyday. I can see it in her smile." She said to him.

Everyone heard Evangeline laughing a little, "What so funny Eva-chan?" Konoka asked her.

Evangeline whispered to her, Setsuna, Asuna and Chachamaru, "It's a double entendre." She was still laughing, "Think about what she just said."

They found out what Evangeline meant about what Natsuko said. They started to blush when they knew what Evangeline was laughing about, while Chachamaru was beginning to over-heat.

Negi, having spent time with girls who were always trying to undress him and do who knows what, knew why Evangeline was laughing.

He tried to calm himself before he spoke again.

"Natsuko, for you to be mine and Yue's daughter and for this photo to exist, you would have to be from the..."

"The future." Natsuko finished for him. "I am from the future papa."

Everyone took in this new bit of information. A daughter from the future. This was getting more interesting by the minute.

"But how? It's not possible for for anyone..." Negi was trying to think how a person could time travel without the magic of the world tree.

Natsuko looked at the clock on the wall and noticed the time. "I have to go." She said in a panic as she made her way to the door.

Negi tried to stop her, "Wait, don't go. I have so many questions."

Everyone walked to the front door, "I wish I had more time to answer all of your questions, but if I don't get back in time, I will be in trouble."

Natsuko turned around and got on her knees to make eye contact with her father, "I promise the next time we meet, I will tell you what you want to know." She said giving a smile to Negi.

"The next time we meet?" It sounded like she was planning future meetings.

She got up and took one last look at everyone.She opened the door and went the down the stairs. The sun was already setting and Natsuko walked toward the forest.

"Hey! Can't you do something about the body?" Evangeline asked her. "It's starting to stink."

Eton's burnt, rotting, reeking corpse had started to attract flies. It smelled like sulfur. It was so bad that Natsuko nearly vomited.

She pulled out another vial, this time filled with a dark red liquid. She tossed the vial at Eton's body and when it broke, his body was engulfed in flames.

"The fire will put itself out after it reduced Eton to ashes." Natsuko said.

As she got near the forest, she looked back at the cabin,"Bye papa, I love you." She put back on her hood and disappeared into the forest.

* * *

They all saw Natsuko enter the forest and she was gone before their eyes. 

The fire on Eton's body was beginning to die out. No one would ever know that he was there, no matter how hard they looked.

Negi and the girls still stood by the door. So many things were going on in each one of their heads.

"She is so pretty, don't you think so Negi-kun?" Konoka asked him.

Negi shook his head, "Yes...she is very pretty."

"Now that it's all over, why don't you all get out of my home and go back to the dormitory." Evangeline said as she was pushing the unwanted guests out the door.

Asuna pushed back, "Wait a minute Evangeline, You can't make us leave now."

"What do you mean I can't?" Evangeline stopped herself from shoving them any further out the door, "This is my house. I can do anything I want here."

"My grandfather said we have to stay the night with you, remember Eva-chan?" Konoka said closing the door so they wouldn't leave.

Evangeline stood her ground, "That was when we were in danger and the boya's kid took care of the problem. So what's the big deal?"

"The problem is, we don't know how many more demons could be waiting for us." Setsuna said to her. "Natsuko-chan didn't even bother to tell us what we're up against."

Asuna agreed with Setsuna, "Besides, it's getting really dark out there."

"What's the matter Kagurazaka? Afraid of the dark?" Evangeline said with a smirk on her face.

"Hey, I'm not afraid, got it." Asuna said to her angrily.

"Evangeline-san, it's too late to go back to our room and everybody needs to rest for their injuries to completely heal."

"Master, Negi-sensei and the others do have a point. I think it's best for them to stay the the night." Chachamaru said.

Evangeline knew she wasn't going to win this argument, "Fine, you can stay."

"Thank you so much Eva-chan." Konoka said with a smile on her face.

"However," Evangeline wasn't going to make their night comfortable, "I want you to straighten up the living room, because that's where you will be sleeping."

"What?" Asuna asked confusingly, "Why do we have to sleep down here?"

"It's either the living room or would you rather like to take your chances outside?" Evangeline left them no room for them to complain.

Negi agreed to Evangeline's terms, "That's alright with us Evangeline-san."

"Good. Now then, Chachamaru," Evangeline started to go up the stairs, "Go to the closet and give the boya and his friends some pillows and blankets." She ordered Chachamaru, "Call me when dinner is ready."

Everyone looked at the top of the stairs where Evangeline was standing before she goes into her room, "She's a wonderful host, isn't she." Asuna said sarcastically.

* * *

_That Night_

Crickets chirping outside, the dripping of the faucet in the kitchen and the ticking of Evangeline's grandfather clock was not what kept Negi awake.

His stomach was full from Chachamaru's excellent cooking, but it didn't put him into a good night's sleep.

The couch he was on wasn't too uncomfortable and he was warm thanks to the blanket Chachamaru had given him.

It had nothing to do with all of that. No, it was the events of today. He replayed them in his head, over and over again.

The near-death encounter with Eton, being rescued by a girl who said she was his daughter from the future and finding out Ayase Yue, his student, who he would have great conversations with; was the mother and his future wife.

"You can't sleep, can you Negi?" Asuna asked him. She was on the couch opposite him.

"Yeah, you too Asuna?" He said to her.

"I can't sleep either Negi-kun." Konoka said to the both of them. She was on the couch by Negi's feet.

Setsuna slept on the couch by Negi's head, "I didn't expect for today to turn out like this." She too was awake.

"What are you all thinking about?" Negi asked them.

"I'm thinking about Natsuko." Asuna answered him, "She really had to leave in a hurry, I wonder why?"

Negi shook his head, "I don't know, but it was as if she was scared of something."

He got on his stomach and looked at Setsuna, "What about you, Setsuna-san?" He asked her.

Setsuna turned her head and faced him, "There are two things on my mind."

"What's the first one?" Asuna asked.

"First, when Natsuko-san showed up, she was wearing a white cloak." Setsuna said to them.

"So what?" Asuna said.

"Don't you remember Evangeline's story? She said she confronted a boy in a similar cloak." She said to Asuna.

Negi knew what she meant, "So there's a chance Natsuko-san didn't come here alone."

Setsuna nodded her head, "Maybe, but I don't know. She didn't tell us."

"She didn't tell us anything." Asuna added, "Just that, she's the daughter of Negi and Yue and she's from the future." Asuna looked back at Setsuna, "What's the second thing?"

"The demon that called himself Eton." Setsuna looked at all three of them, "He really wanted to kill you, Negi-sensei."

"But, why did he want to kill me?" Negi asked to the girls and to himself.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room before Negi spoke again, "What I can't imagine is that Yue has feelings for me."

The girls looked at Negi as he continued, "I have a great time talking with her, she knows so much about philosophy and she is so focused on her magical studies."

Asuna and Setsuna didn't know what to say. What could they say to him to put his mind at ease.

"Who knew she feels this way towards me." Negi said, his face in a state of disbelief.

The both of them never saw Yue with Negi before and to find out Yue's feelings about him was something completely new.

But Konoka knew all about her, "Actually Negi-kun, I found out about Yue's true feelings a long time ago."

They all sat up quickly on the couch, "What? When? Where?" Negi asked bewilderedly.

"It was on the second day of the festival, when we took the walking tour of library island, remember Negi-kun?" Konoka said.

Negi did remember the tour. It was the day when both Haruna and Yue made a pactio with him. Was that when Yue fell in love with Negi? Because of the pactio kiss?

Konoka continued talking, "Haruna noticed Yue looking at you and Nodoka."

Asuna and Setsuna listened were carefully to Konoka's words, "Haruna took Yue to another room and I followed them."

They got closer to Konoka, they sat on the edges of their couch, "When we got there, she asked Yue if she felt a little jealous when she sees you and Nodoka together."

'Yue was jealous of seeing me and Nodoka together.' Negi thought to himself.

"Of course Yue denied it, but Haruna knew she was lying." Konoka went on, "When Haruna asked her if she was in love with you, she started to cry. She didn't want admit it, but it was true, Yue loves you Negi-kun."

Negi's view of Yue was changing. She was no longer a friend that he could talk with about anything. She was now a girl that was secretly in love with him. Just like Nodoka.

"...Nodoka." Negi had completely forgotten about her.

The first girl to openly confess to him that she was in love with him. He had forgotten about her and her feelings for him.

"Oh yeah, 'Bookstore', she slip my mind." Asuna said getting back to the couch.

From one problem to another, Negi's life was getting more and more complicated. 'Can this get much worse?' He asked himself.

* * *

_That very same night_

Deep in the forest. Deeper than Kaede has ever gone during her training was a cavern. To others, it looks like any normal, plain, dark, dirty cavern. But they would need to look inside to see the difference. That's where they would find _Le Oublie._

Into the depths of the cavern were twelve people, all dressed in dark robes, the hoods were up to hide their faces.

They all were bowing in front of another hooded figure, dressed in the same robes.

"Eton has failed me." The figure said in a seductive female voice. She, as well as those in the cavern knew what has occurred, Eton was dead.

She sat on throne made up of the stones of the cavern. She looked down at her followers.

She looked at the person, second from the right, "Takumi, can you explain to me why Eton failed?" She asked him in aggravated tone of voice.

The figure named Takumi shook from fright as he answered her, "Mistress forgive me, I gave him your orders, but I don't know what happened." He dared not look her in the eyes.

"Mistress, allow me to succeed where Eton has failed." Takumi begged his mistress.

"No, I won't allow it." She said to him, "But, because Eton can't be punished, you will be Takumi."

"I understand, my mistress." Takumi wasn't looking forward to his punishment.

"Mistress, then allow me to go." The person at the end on the left spoke up. "My Axe and I are ready and I shall not fail like the big oaf." His voice was harsh, but not as deep as Eton's had been.

The mistress shook her head, "No, it's not your turn Fraomar. I need to find out who killed Eton."

She got up from the throne and walked towards them, "It's impossible for that boy to have killed Eton. He isn't suppose to be this strong, not yet."

She looked at the rest of her followers, they were like statues, not making a sound, waiting to be called upon. Her gaze rests on the person forth from the right, "Nisha, Rise." She said to the hood individual.

The person called Nisha stood up and faced the mistress, "Yes my mistress." Nisha said in a feminine voice. She had such a seductive voice as well.

The mistress placed her hands on Nisha's shoulders "I want you to go the academy, find out who helped the boy and when you do, locate Springfield and kill him and the person that helped him too." The mistress took one of her hands and placed it on Nisha's cheek inside her hood.

The others members heard Nisha's soft moans, as their mistress caressed her cheek.

"Do you understand Nisha?" The mistress asked her, pulling back her hand.

"Yes, I do mistress." Nisha said, recovering from her mistress' touch. "But, I have a plan."

"What is your plan Nisha?" The mistress asked her as she sat back on her throne.

"Instead of finding the professor, I know how to make him and whoever helped him come to me. Heh-heh-heh." Nisha said with an evil giggle.

* * *

Author's Note: What could Nisha be planning? How is Negi going to react around Yue? What about Nodoka? 

You will notice at time, I will reveal a persons' name in the story. I suggest you keep track. It's going to be a little confusing after a while. If this chapter seems short, I apologize and I promise to have the next chapter up soon.


	5. Chapter Four

The Children of the Pactio

Chapter Four

_She knew it wasn't a dream._

_No dream can be this realistic._

_She can't see herself, but she can hear herself and she was crying._

_She didn't know why she was crying, it just happened._

_As she cries, she feels herself being picked up and being held._

_She didn't know who or what was holding her, but she continued to cry even harder._

_But then, she heard another sound. _

"_Land of bear and land of eagle_

_Land that gave us birth and blessing_

_Land that called us ever homewards_

_We will go home across the mountains_

_We will go home, We will go home_

_We will go home across the mountains_

_We will go home, We will go home_

_We will go home across the mountains"_

_This sound was more beautiful than she ever heard._

_It came from a man's mouth._

_She now knew the man making this sound was holding her. _

_Cradling her in his arms._

_The man continued to make his sound._

"_Land of freedom, Land of heroes_

_Land that gave us hope and memories_

_Hear our singing, Hear our longing_

_We will go home across the mountains_

_We will go home, We will go home_

_We will go home across the mountains_

_We will go home, We will go home_

_We will go home across the mountains"_

_This man had such comfortable warmth to him._

_She starting to cry less and started to get sleepy._

"_Land of sun and Land of moonlight_

_Land that gave us joy and sorrow_

_Land that gave us love and laughter_

_We will go home across the mountains_

_We will go home, We will go home_

_We will go home across the mountains_

_We will go home, We will go home_

_We will go across the mountains"_

_She stopped crying and listened to the sound._

_The man was rocking her gently in his arms._

_The sound seems to be dying._

"_When the land is there before us_

_We have gone home across the mountains_

_We will go home, We will go home_

_We will go home across the mountains"_

_The sound was gone now, but she wasn't crying anymore._

_Before she went to sleep, she looked up at the face of the man._

_It was her papa, who made that beautiful sound._

_She knew it wasn't a dream._

_It was her first memory.

* * *

_

Natsuko Springfield woke up with a smile on her face.

Ever since she was a little girl, her papa would sing her that lullaby to get her to sleep. Now the only time she would hear it was when he sings it to his other daughters and son.

At times, she sings it. Whenever she feels homesick, that song always reminded her of home and her family. She also sings it to her younger siblings when they can't get to sleep.

For example her little brother, who was sharing the same tent as her wasn't able to go to sleep last night. But when Natsuko sang the lullaby, he went into a sleep so deep that she would need a rock band to wake him up.

She looked down at his sleeping face. His golden hair was all messing and unruly. She smiled as he made faces in his sleep.

Natsuko woke up extra early, because she had something important to do today.

After the events of yesterday, she was sure her papa would go to his mage superiors and he would have to recount all that had happened.

But would her papa tell them about her? Or would he not mention her in order to protect her?

He's not the same papa as he's in the future. He may have experience with handling teenage girls, but he wouldn't know what to do with his own flesh and blood.

She doesn't want to be a burden to him. If there is any blame, he shouldn't be the one to take it.

She dresses quickly and quietly, she doesn't want to wake her little brother.

"Onee-chan…" Natsuko stops dressing when she hears her little brother. Dressed in only her shirt and underwear, Natsuko is hoping that she didn't wake him up and he's trying to see her in her panties.

She looks over to where he is and sees that he's still asleep, 'He must be having a dream.' She thinks to herself with a smile on her face. She was glad her little brother wasn't becoming a pervert, like someone else she knew. After putting on pants and a new white cloak, she exits the tent.

Natsuko and her brothers had set-up camp ten miles away from the academy. Not too near for anyone to find them, but not too far for them to get to their father and mothers on time.

Natsuko looked at the tent in front of her, where her brother was sleeping. While the tent on the left held her older brother. She looked at the now extinguished campfire that was surrounded by four logs. They have cooked their meals and warmed their tea with it. Her older brother had put talismans around the perimeter of the camp in order to protect them. If she wanted to leave the camp, she would have to be very careful not to set the talismans off.

Natsuko made it pass the talismans and head towards the academy. She wants to get there before her papa.

Unfortunately for her, one of her brothers had woken up much earlier than her and watched her leave the camp, 'Where are you going Natsuko?' Her brother went after her.

* * *

Chachamaru started up from her rest mode and went to the kitchen to start her master's breakfast. 

But, something wasn't right with her. She wasn't operating properly. She wasn't following her order of operations.

She would skip one or two steps in making breakfast. She put the eggs and bacon on the frying pan without lighting the stove. She let the toast burn; she poured the tea in the vase on the table. Chachamaru was messing up at everything.

She was making a big mess and so much noise that it woke those who were sleeping in the living room.

"Chachamaru-san…what are you doing?" Negi said groggily. He was still a little sleepy from last night. Asuna had woken up as well and stood right behind him. Konoka and Setsuna were still asleep.

"G-good morning Negi-sensei, Asuna-san." Chachamaru had forgotten Negi and the others were staying the night in the cabin. Her gears skipped a rotation as she saw Negi first thing in the morning, but she didn't 'feel' the same way as she does when she's with Negi. Why was that?

"You're making breakfast Chachamaru?" Asuna was rubbing the tiredness from her eyes.

"Yes I am. Would you two care for some?" Chachamaru offered to Negi and Asuna.

Before either could answer, they heard footsteps stomping down the stairs. They saw Evangeline in her pajamas at the bottom of the stairs.

"What do you think you are doing Chachamaru?" Evangeline asked her. She had an angry look on her face.

"Good morning Master. I am making breakfast for you, as I always do. Is something wrong Master?" Chachamaru didn't know why her master would be angry about breakfast.

"Is something wrong?" Evangeline asked in a mocking tone, "I'll tell you what's wrong; it's nearly five o'clock in the morning."

Everybody looked at the grandfather clock in the living room to the time. It was fifteen minutes to five.

"Why are you making breakfast so early? You always make around seven o'clock." Evangeline wondered why Chachamaru started breakfast so early in the morning.

Evangeline noticed Negi and Asuna staring at her, "What is it you two?" She asked them.

"That's a cute pajama you have Evangeline-san." Negi said with a smile on his face.

Evangeline looked down and saw the pajama she was wearing. Baby blue with little pink bunnies on it. She had never let anyone see her in that pajama and to Negi; she might seem like another one of those juvenile girls in class.

"You look so adorable Evangeline." Asuna said pinching one of her cheeks.

"Let me go Kagurazaka." Evangeline batted away Asuna's hand away from her face. "I'm going back to bed; wake me when it's seven o'clock."

"Evangeline-san wait, you can't go back to sleep." Negi said stopping her.

Evangeline stopped going up the stairs and turned to face him, "Can you tell me why I can't go back to sleep."

"We have to go see the headmaster before class starts." He said to her.

"What do you mean Negi?" Asuna asked him.

"Whenever there's an incident that has to do with magic, the headmaster needs to be informed." Negi told Asuna and Evangeline.

"Fine." Evangeline looked at Negi, "Let me get out of these pajamas and into my uniform, then we will go see the old man."

After Evangeline went to her room, Asuna was getting ready to leave, "Well, if I'm going to keep my job, I better leave right now if I'm going to make it on time."

"Asuna, why don't you stay? You might still be injured from yesterday." Negi had a concern tone in his voice.

"No way." She said as she puts on her shoes, "Besides, those stimulants that your daughter gave us have really done the trick. My body isn't hurting anymore."

Negi had forgotten all about his daug…Natsuko. She had to leave so suddenly, that he never had a chance to have a real conversation with her.

"It's going to take a long time to get to my job from here, so I have to leave even early than usual." Asuna headed for the door.

No matter how hard he tried, she would never listen to him, "Alright, just be careful out there and be sure to meet us at the dean's office."

"I'll try." She said as she went out the door and down the stairs. She takes one more look at Negi, "By the way Negi, if you see your wife, make sure you kiss her good morning." She went off with a smile on her face.

Negi felt so uncomfortable by what Asuna said. His wife…Ayase Yue, the mother of Natsuko. He wondered how he was going to face her and worst of all Nodoka.

Negi heard a glass break. He looked into the kitchen and saw Chachamaru holding a broken glass cup in both hands with orange dripping to the floor, "Are you okay Chachamaru-san?" Negi asked her.

Chachamaru nodded her head, "Yes I am. Thank you for asking Negi-sensei." She threw the broken glass into the trash and grabbed the mop to clean up the juice on the floor.

Negi knew she wasn't alright. To make so many mistakes isn't something Chachamaru would normally do, even if she was a robot or not. "Chachamaru-san, I think you should go and see Satomi-san before class starts."

"But, why would I go see Satomi? It's not time for my monthly inspection." Chachamaru put the mop back in the broom closet.

They heard someone coming downstairs, "Did I hear something break?" Evangeline asked them. She changed into her uniform and took a seat at the table for breakfast.

"I'm sorry master; I have broken one of your glass cups." Chachamaru bowed for forgiveness.

Evangeline shook her head, "It's not like you Chachamaru to make errors in household maintenance."

"First you start breakfast two hours early; you make a mess of my kitchen, you made such a racket, you burned the food, destroyed one of my glasses and on top of all that you have your maid outfit on backwards." Evangeline pointed at Chachamaru's outfit. She didn't even notice it.

"Even though it's not time for your inspection, I still think you should to Satomi." Negi was getting more worried, "There could be something wrong that you don't know about Chachamaru."

Chachamaru was taken by her sensei's concern over her. If only they could…but, then she remembers that she can't.

She puts the breakfast plates in front of them, "If you think I should go Negi-sensei than I shall."

"Uhhh…Chachamaru-san I really think you should before class starts. I don't think it should wait." Negi said with a confused look on his face. Evangeline had the same look on her face.

"Is something wrong with breakfast Negi-sensei?" Chachamaru asked him.

"This is breakfast?" Evangeline said to her, pointing at the plate in front of her. Crushed eggshells, uncooked bacon and soggy toast. Negi and Evangeline looked at the questionable meal before them.

"There is definitely something wrong with you Chachamaru." Evangeline said as she took a sip from her tea, but spitted back out, "Pffht…Did you make the tea with dish water?" She cleaned her mouth with a napkin. "Chachamaru go change and then go to Hakase's place and find what's wrong with you. Because if you don't, I will take you apart myself and that will solve the problem." She had an infuriated look on her face.

Chachamaru ran to change into her school uniform and left the cabin, "Evangeline-san, don't you think that was a little too harsh." Negi said as he took his and her plate and threw away their 'breakfast' into the garbage.

"Do you want to drink the tea she made?" She offered him the cup.

"Uhh…NO thank you Evangeline-san." Negi 'politely' turned down her offer.

They heard yawning coming from the living room and saw Konoka and Setsuna enter the kitchen, "Good morning Negi-kun , Eva-chan." Konoka greeted them as she and Setsuna took a seat at the table, "What's for breakfast?"

"Good morning Konoka, Would you like some tea?" Evangeline pushed her cup toward Konoka.

* * *

Asuna arrived at Maicho News in time to deliver the paper, "Good morning Asuna, you're a little late today." Her boss said to her. 

She was out of breathing from running to her job, "Yeah…s-sorry about that, I slept over a friend's house and it's farther than the dorm rooms."

'Friend?' Asuna thought, 'Since when is Evangeline a friend? She didn't want us in her house.'

"So it was a sleepover?" The boss' wife asked her as she stacked the newspaper on top of each other.

"Yeah it was." Asuna lied, 'Not really.'

"Are you alright Asuna?" The boss asked her, "You seem a little spaced out today."

Asuna snapped back to attention, "No, I'm okay. Something just happened yesterday, it's no big deal."

"What happened yesterday?" The boss' wife said as she puts the newspapers to Asuna's carrying bag.

'Big mouth.' Asuna said to herself, 'Now what do I say? I can't tell them about the demon and Negi. Think, think…'

"A…relative of my teacher showed up unexpectedly and I think she's going to stay for a while." They wouldn't believe a girl from the future came to save her ten year old father from death.

"Really? I guess he was surprised to see her." Her boss asked her.

Asuna nodded her head slowly, "Actually…we were all surprised."

"Well, a visit from family is always a good thing." The boss' wife said as she finished loading Asuna's bag, "Here you go Asuna. Now be careful."

"Don't worry, I will." Asuna slung the bag over her right shoulder and left to drop off the papers.

As Asuna place each newspaper in the mailbox, she began to think about yesterday, 'I can't believe the brat ends up with Yue.' She thinks as she drops off another paper, 'Poor bookworm, this is going to break her heart.'

Another few papers delivered, 'He did look hot in that photo...stop thinking that, Yue's the one who he married, I mean the one he is going to marry.'

'Almost finished, then it's off to meet the brat at the dean's office.' She says to herself, 'If his daughter from the future then that means she could tell me about my future with Takahata-sensei.' She blushed at that last thought.

With all the newspapers delivered, Asuna was about to head back to the academy, when she sees an elderly woman at the front door of her house. She was carrying two big bags filled with groceries and it seems she was having a hard time opening her door. Asuna went over to her, "Excuse me madam, would you like some help?" Asuna asked her.

The old lady turned around and saw Asuna coming towards her, "I would really appreciate that dear." She said with a smile on her face.

She handed Asuna one of her bags that the items inside were stacked on top of each other. Asuna had an unsteady grip on the bag and a small blue box from on top of the bag fell off, "Oh I'm sorry. I'll get that."

Asuna puts down the bag and bents down to pick up the box. When she picks it up, she feels it like it's empty. She looks at the top and sees a strange symbol on it. The top of the box springs open and a purple gas sprays Asuna in the face, "What is this?" Asuna asked the old lady. Asuna was beginning to feel light-headed. She was having a problem keeping her balance and her vision was getting blurry. The last thing she sees is the old woman still smiling at her before everything goes dark and falls to the ground.

The old lady looks down upon Asuna's unconscious body, "I know of another way you can help me dear." The smile on her face changed to an evil grin and the image of the old lady vanished and a person in black robes took its place, "Kagurazaka Asuna, You're the one of the twelve I'm going to get today." The person in a woman voice said as she picks up Asuna and disappears with her.

* * *

It was a very uncomfortable walk as Negi, Evangeline, Konoka and Setsuna headed to school. As they left the cabin, they saw the ashes of Eton's burned body blown away by the wind. 

They didn't say a word to each other at breakfast and the only sound they heard was the tick-tock-tick of the grandfather clock.

They had the same thing on their mind...Natsuko Springfield.

For each question they thought up, another one would enter their heads. Endless questions with no answers, what could they do to solve them. Was it possible to solve them at all?

In order to break the silence, Konoka said what was on her mind, "I wonder what kind of children I have?"

They looked back at Konoka, "What did you say Konoka?" Evangeline asked her not believing what she had heard.

"All I said was I want to know the children I have in the future." She said with a smile.

"Konoka-san, why would you ask such a question?" Negi asked her.

Konoka looked at Negi, "Well, Natsuko is your daughter from the future and She seems to know all about us. I wonder if she knows the children we are going to have."

"WE?" Negi asked her.

Konoka shook her head, "Oh...not 'we' as in me and you Negi-kun." Konoka told him.

A certain swordswoman let go a lungful of air she didn't know she was holding.

"I meant as in all of us. Me, you, Setsuna and Evangeline." Konoka pointed to each one of them.

Evangeline stopped and faced Konoka, "What makes you think I would want children?" She asked Konoka very sternly.

"I was just thought..." Konoka tried to explain.

"You thought I would want a brat of my own. To feed, change its diaper, give it a bath and have it call me mommy." Evangeline was on an angry rant.

Negi saw Konoka cower under Evangeline's gaze, "Evangeline-san, Konoka-san didn't mean any harm. Besides, it was a question directed to all of us, not just you." He tried to calm her down.

Evangeline shifted her stare from Negi and back to Konoka. She didn't say a word, but turned around and continued towards the school. Negi, Setsuna and Konoka kept a foot away from her, not wanting to get her any more angrier.

If it was possible, the silence was even more uncomfortable.

* * *

It was still early in the morning when they made it to school, so the halls were not filled with students and it made it easier to get to the dean's office without going through a crowd. 

When they reached his office, they heard laughter coming from the other side of the door. They recognized one of laughs as the dean, but the second laugh was a female, so they presumed it to be Shizuna-sensei. Negi knocked on the door, "Come in." The dean said from inside.

As they entered the room, the dean greeted them, "Negi-kun, Setsuna-kun, Evangeline and Konoka good morning. I hope you all slept well last night." He looked at the small group as if he was looking for something, "Where's Asuna-kun and Chachamaru?"

"Chachamaru-san went to see Satomi-san and Asuna went to deliver the newspaper, she should be joining us later." Negi answered him.

They bowed good morning to him and entered his office, "I was just having an amusing conversion with this young lady." He pointed to his guest on the couch.

They looked at the person on the couch. The blue hair and brown eyes, it wasn't Shizuna-sensei, "Good morning Papa." Natsuko greeted her ten year old father. She was just sitting there on the couch drinking tea, as if she had nothing to hide.

"Wha-wha-wha..." Negi couldn't get the words out of his mouth, so Evangeline helped him, 'Slap' by slapping him on his back, "What are you doing here Natsuko-san?" The slap seemed to really help him.

Natsuko took a sip from her tea, "I guess we both had the same idea Papa, I'm here to tell the dean about yesterday."

"How did you get here before us?" Evangeline said as she took a seat in one of the armchairs.

"That's simple, I flew here." Natsuko pointed to her staff that was by the door along with her white cloak hanging on the coat rack, "As I got closer to the school I went down and walked the rest of the way." The dean refilled her cup.

They all took a seat, Natsuko offered the spot next to her to Negi. He was having the same feeling he had yesterday when Natsuko revealed herself. He didn't know what it was, but it made him feel heavy, as if his spirit had weight on it.

"You told the headmaster everything?" Setsuna asked her. She stood next to Konoka, while she sat in the other armchair.

Natsuko took her cup from the dean, "Well I just told him about Eton, protecting all of you, killing Eton and my connection to Negi."

"Why did you do that?" Negi asked his daughter, "I was going to tell the headmaster about yesterday myself."

"If you were going to tell him everything, would you have told him about me papa?" Natsuko asked him as she took another sip of her tea.

Negi Had not thought of that. If he did tell the dean everything, would he tell him about Natsuko? How was he going to explain her? If didn't say a word about Natsuko, what would he say to make the dean believe him?

The dean placed a cup of tea in front of all of them, "Well, I think congratulations are in order."

"Congratulations for what grandfather?" Konoka asked him as she and the others took the cup and began to drink their tea.

"For Negi-kun, on having such a beautiful girl for a daughter." The old dean said raising his cup.

Negi choked on his tea at what the dean had said, Natsuko patted him on his back to help swallow down the tea. "So, she did tell you everything." Negi manged to say.

The dean nodded his head, "Yes she did." The dean continued, "When she first arrived at my office, I thought it was Yue-kun and she had a growth spurt. But Natsuko-kun told me about herself, about Negi and Yue and the connection between the three of you, I nearly fainted."

"You hear that boya, he nearly fainted." Evangeline said drinking her tea, "You could take a pointer from a real man."

"But headmaster, you couldn't have believed her right away." Setsuna said to the dean.

The dean nodded his head, "You're right Setsuna-kun and I didn't." He picked up something from his desk, "But, Natsuko-kun showed me this photo and her story was getting more valid by the minute." The dean held the same photo Natsuko had showed Negi and the others yesterday at Evangeline's cabin.

They couldn't believe that Natsuko had revealed her identity to someone else. What was she trying to do by saying she was Negi's future daughter? "Natsuko-kun also said you got hurt fighting some big demon yesterday. Are you all okay?" The dean asked with so much concern.

Negi nodded his head, "Yes, We're quite alright now. In fact, the pain is gone and our bodies don't hurt anymore." He said as he stretching his arms.

"I knew the stimulant would help you and the others papa." Natsuko said with a wide smile. She looks at Setsuna who was stretching as well.

"A potion that heals anything at a rapid speed, I didn't even know such a potion existed." Evangeline said placing her cup on the coffee table.

"It doesn't, but it will. It is created by a great expert in potions and catalysts." Natsuko told her.

"Who is this person?" Evangeline asked her wanting to know now who created such a marvelous creation.

Natsuko looked at her, "...You did Aunt Evangeline."

Evangeline's eyes were wide open at that bit of shocking news, "I created that super-stimulant?" Evangeline asked as if she didn't believe the first time. "Wait a minute, Aunt Evangeline?" She questioned her new title.

Natsuko nodded her head, "Yeah, that's what I call you in my time," She looked at Konoka and Setsuna, "and you two are Aunt Setsuna and Aunt Konoka."

Each of the girls froze after what Natsuko said to them, "Natsuko, why did you call them your aunts?" Negi asked her.

She turned around and faces her father, "Well growing up, I would see Aunt Evangeline everyday and Aunt Konoka and Setsuna only when they would visit us or when we go to Kyoto on business papa. After a while, calling them my aunts seems appropriate."

"Hold it, you said you see everyday, right?" Evangeline asked Natsuko. She pushed the whole aunt issue aside. Natsuko just nodded, "If you see me everyday and it seems that the boya is going to teach here for a very long time, does that mean... I'm still confined to this wretched place?" Evangeline couldn't believe her fate, even in the future she's still cursed.

"I can't believe it." Konoka said. Everyone focused their attention on Konoka, "I can't believe...I'm an aunt." She said with much glee.

'Stupid girl,' Evangeline thought to herself, 'here I am agonizing about my future and she's content about being an aunt.'

"You mean, I don't free Evangeline-san from the curse?" Negi asked her.

Natsuko looked at her father, "Well...you see...I ...she..." She couldn't get her words right. "I'm sorry, but I can't say."

"You said that next time we meet, you would tell us want we want to know." Konoka just remembered what Natsuko told them yesterday.

"That's right." Evangeline got up from the chair and walked over to her, "I guess the 'next time' is now, so you better tell us everything or do you want your 'papa' worry about what to expect." Evangeline played the 'parent card', she knew Natsuko would feel guilty if she didn't answer her fathers' questions.

Natsuko looked at Negi, she did promise them and he taught her to always keep her promises. She looked at everyone else in the room, their faces full of worry and questions, she didn't want to see them like that, "Okay, I will answer any questions you have, but some I won't."

"What do you mean you won't answer some of them?" Setsuna asked her.

"For example, Aunt Eva asked if she is still at this school in my time. I won't say, because the future could change for the better or the worst."

"You can't do that, that's not fair." Evangeline complained like a little girl, "If you won't answer that question, what else won't you answer?"

Natsuko straighten herself before she spoke, she wanted everyone to hear what she wanted to say, "If you ask me about when certain things are going to happen, such dates, weddings or the birth of your child I will not say."

They couldn't believe it, they could've found out about their futures, but Natsuko wouldn't tell them. It was as if she locked a vault.

"Okay, I have the first question." Evangeline said to her, "Why did you reveal your identity to Negi after you saved? You told him his future with Ayase, but you won't tell us about ours."

Natsuko had expected this question, "When we were all in the cabin yesterday, everyone was pestering me with questions, so I had no choice but to reveal myself. I knew no one would believe me, so I brought the photo for solid proof. Besides, I all ready broke one of the rules by making myself known."

"What rule was that Natsuko-san?" Negi was curious by what she meant by that.

"One of the rules is that we aren't allowed to interfere with the past, but I did it anyway by fighting Eton." She looked down at the floor.

"Then, why did you save Negi-kun?" Konoka asked her.

"I was having a conflict with myself. I saw the fight between you guys and Eton. I wanted to stop him before anybody got hurt, but I remembered that I wasn't supposed to. At first, I thought you could stop him, but when I saw you getting hurt, I knew he was too powerful for you to defeat by yourself. So, I decided to ignore the rules and save you." Natsuko lowered her head from everyone's view.

Negi saw her hands on her Knees begin to shake and he heard some sniffling, "Are you crying Natsuko-san?" Negi asked her. Natsuko didn't say anything, but she shook her head. Negi knew was lying, she still wanted to look brave in front of everyone.

He took one of her hands into his, She looked up and made eye contact with her father, "Natsuko please don't cry, you did the right thing. You did what your heart told you to do. If you didn't step in at that moment, I would not be alive today. None of us would if it wasn't for you."

Natsuko looked deep in his eyes. Her mama and aunts were right, he was so mature for his age and he could always find the right words to say. Her eyes were a little red from a bit of crying. She wiped the rest of the tears away and embraced Negi in a hug, "Oh papa, to hear you say that I didn't do anything wrong, makes me feel so sure of myself." She said to him as she cried tears of joy this time.

Negi placed his hands carefully on her back and gently patted her. He felt very uncomfortable being hugged by a girl he barely knew. Negi didn't notice the room went silent, until he heard sniffling, "This is so touching." Konoka said with tears falling like a waterfall. Setsuna had tears forming at her eyes, Evangeline looked out the window.

"I would say that Negi-kun has this father thing down." The Headmaster said, stroking his beard.

"Enough of this heart-warming scene already, I still have more questions." Evangeline felt like she was going to be sick.

Natsuko got away from Negi, "I'm sorry, it's just that I always liked getting praised by my papa." She wiped off her tears, "Is there anything else you would like to ask me?"

"Is there anyone else we have to worry about?" Setsuna asked drying her tears with some tissue, "Eton didn't come by himself did he?"

"No, he didn't." Natsuko face had a serious look on it, "He had allies and by now, they know he has died yesterday."

""How did they all get here?" Negi asked trying to find out more about who was trying to murder him.

"I'm sure you all heard about the incident about the craters yesterday, right?" Natsuko asked them.

"You're saying Eton and his allies caused those craters?" Negi couldn't believe it, "Wait a minute, there were seven craters, which means..."

"There are seven people you have to look out for. Well, now six since Eton's dead." Natsuko corrected herself.

"How did they get here?" Konoka asked her.

"They found some way to time travel, but what way I don't know. It took them from our time and placed them in yours." Natsuko tried to explain the best way she could.

"So Eton's friends, can they do the same thing as him or are they different?" Evangeline wanted to know what they were up against.

Natsuko looked at her aunt Eva, "They have different skills and abilities than Eton and I have no idea when they're going to strike."

"Speaking of allies, who are the ones you came with?" Evangeline asked Natsuko.

Natsuko was taken by surprise, "I don't know what you are talking..."

"Do not insult my intelligence, I know you didn't come alone. It would be too dangerous for you with you came by yourself." Evangeline said very sternly.

Natsuko didn't know what to do. She didn't know if they knew about her brothers, "What makes you think I did come with anybody else?" She wanted to know if they were talking about her brothers.

Evangeline got up from the armchair and walked to where Natsuko and Negi were, "Yesterday, I was attacked by someone much shorter than you and was wearing the same white cloak that you wear." Evangeline said rubbing the side of her face where she got kicked.

'Shorter than me? Is she talking about Ototochan?' Natsuko thought to herself.

"Speaking of mysterious people, yesterday Asuna said she saw someone in black clothing." Negi said to Natsuko, "He was at the crater site and Asuna chased him, only for him to get away. Do you know who that person was Natsuko-san?"

'The only person I know who had black clothes yesterday was Onii-chan.' Natsuko was wondering if her brothers weren't following the rules that they themselves set up. "Did you see their faces?" She asked them.

Both Negi and Evangeline shook their heads. Natsuko was very relived, 'Good, they have no idea who they are. If they did, they would freak out."

Natsuko-chan, do you know who they are?" Konoka asked trying to out who Asuna chased and who attacked Evangeline.

Natsuko knew there was no denying about coming to the past with her brothers, so she no choice, "They are friends of mine." She wasn't going to say who they really were.

"Would you care to tell us who your friends are?" The dean was just as curious as everybody else.

Natsuko shook her head, "I'm sorry, but I can't say who they are." She wanted to protect her brothers.

Evangeline got closer and was face to face with Natsuko, "Can't or won't?"

Natsuko felt very uncomfortable by Evangeline's space between them, "I...you see...my..." Natsuko didn't know how to answer aunt Eva.

"Evangeline-san, please give Natsuko-san some room." Negi tried to remove the little vampire from in front of Natsuko. "Besides, we have more important things to worry about."

"That's right Negi-kun," The dean said stroking his beard, "not knowing when these new adversary are going to strike, we must have the academy on full alert."

"Head master, why not have all the mage teachers doing patrols around the campus, like Takahata-sensei." Negi offered.

The dean shook his head, "Unfortunately, Takamichi is handling magical matters overseas and won't be back for two weeks." He looked at the rest of them, "Plus having the mage teachers doing patrols isn't going to help either, since we couldn't sense the demon that attacked you yesterday, we might not be able to sense the others when they do attack again."

Setsuna looked over to Natsuko, "Will Eton's allies attack the students here at Mahora?" She was very concern over the safety of her fellow school mates.

"I don't know, but if they don't get what they want which is papa, they might start harming his students and the rest of the girls in the academy." Natsuko said worrying tone of voice.

It was getting worse and worse by the minute. Possibly the strongest professor, other than Negi, in another country. Enemies that may strike whenever they want and the lives of all the students at Mahora academy in danger, it seemed like this new problem had no solution.

"We can find a solution later, but right now you should all get going, homeroom is about to begin." The dean said to them.

Negi and the girls looked at the clock on the wall. They had been talking for about an hour, "You should all get to class, before the bell rings papa." Natsuko said to them. "Don't worry, we'll figure out what to do about the situation and you'll have someone watching over you to protect you papa."

"I will?" Negi asked Natsuko, to which she smiled in response.

"It won't be me, because it's not my shift and you won't see the person. He will watch from the shadows." Natsuko explain to him.

Negi didn't not like the idea of having someone watching him that he couldn't see. It was like he had paparazzi, watching his every move. "Where are you going to be Natsuko-san?" He asked her as he and the girls moved towards the door.

"I will be here in the office with the dean, trying to find out what to do about Eton's allies." Natsuko said as she accompanied him and the others to the door, "When the school day is over, I will spend the rest of the day with you papa."

The girls and Negi left the office with an odd look on their faces. From surviving an attack, meeting his future daughter and finding out more people wanted him dead, it was go to be an even-more-than-unusual day.

Natsuko saw her papa and her aunts walk off towards class. She could not but wish she could see him teach. Her mama had talked about his day as professor when she and her aunts were students. But he wasn't a teacher in her time. She turned around and walked to the couch to take a seat. She and the dean had to figure out what to do.

"I always get my best ideas when I play GO." The dean said as he had the board on the table, "Do you play Natsuko-kun?"

Natsuko gave him a smile, "Of course I do. I was taught by the best." She sat on the couch and began to play with the old headmaster.

* * *

Author's note: Which one of Natsuko's brothers followed her? What's the matter with Chachamaru? Who has kidnapped Asuna and for what purpose? 

Sorry it took so long for the next chapter, but I have been busy with classes and with my friends. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon. I got the song from 'King Arthur'. When I heard, I thought it would feel like a precious moment between baby Natsuko and adult Negi. I'm a sucker for heart-warming moments between family. Let me know what you think.


	6. Chapter Five

The Children of the Pactio

Chapter Five 

The halls were filling up with students as the girls of Mahora went to their homerooms. All of the girls in the hall noticed a group of four, moving at a slow pace. It looked like someone had died and they were grieving.

Negi, Evangeline, Setsuna and Konoka had too many new problems to handle and it wasn'tfirst period yet. "I hope the headmaster and Natsuko-san can find some way to solve this dilemma." Negi said as they made a turn down the hall.

"I do too, Negi-sensei." Setsuna said. She stood right behind him, Konoka was third in line and Evangeline brought up the rear. "I don't want to see anybody in danger."

Konoka nodded her head, "I agree with Se-chan, it would be awful if our friends hurt because of this. Don't you agree Eva-chan?" She looked at Evangeline behind her.

Evangeline shrugged her shoulders, "Getting hurt is inevitable for the friends of a Mage. It was bound to happen sooner or later."

Negi turned around to look at Evangeline, "How can you say that Evangeline-san? Don't you care about the innocent people here?" He asked her.

Evangeline look at Negi with a blank stare, "What do you expect from me? Compassion? Sympathy? Concern? Well if you did, you're talking to the wrong person."

"Negi-kun, can I ask you something?" Konoka said to him.

"Of course you can Konoka-san." Negi answered her.

"How are you going to tell Nodoka about you and Yue?"

Negi stopped in his tracks. What was he going to say to Nodoka? In all of his preparation this morning, he didn't know what to do about Nodoka, "I don't know." He said to Konoka.

Evangeline got in front of Negi, "You could say something like, 'Nodoka, I know you love me, but I decide to go out with your best friend, marry her and tumble around with her in the sheets, because the daughter I have with her comes back to our time and told me about my future with her.'" She gave Negi a quick grin,"How does that sound boya?"

Negi could not believe what Evangeline had just, "Evangeline-san how can you just something so mean, awful and cold?"

"Did we not go over this just a few minutes ago? You want love, get a puppy." She said to him.

It was still early in the day, Negi didn't want it to waste it by having an argument with Evangeline.

"You have to choose your words very carefully Negi-sensei." Setsuna advised him, "Or you may break Nodoka's heart."

"It doesn't matter what he says or how he says it, the bookworm is still going to get hurt." Evangeline said as she continued to walk.

Negi knew that Evangeline spoke the truth,"Natsuko-san may not want me to say anything about myself and Yue-san."

They continued walking to their classroom. When they made another turn, Negi saw another one of his students, "Good morning Negi-sensei." Karakuri Chachamaru greeted him. He came to a sudden stop, causing Setsuna to bump into him and fall back towards Konoka.

Konoka tried to grab hold of Setsuna, but she was unable to hold her and fell down as well. Negi looked to see his students on the floor, but was shocked to see Setsuna on top of Konoka, locking lips, "Getting it on in the halls before classes begin, how daring." Evangeline taunted the two girls.

It was like time froze for Setsuna and Konoka. They stared at each other, Setsuna between Konoka's legs and connect by two pairs of lips. Setsuna quickly got off of Konoka and stood up, "I'm...s-s-sorry O-o-ojou-sama, I didn't mean for that to-to happen." Setsuna had a massive blush on her face.

Konoka got up from the floor, "Don't worry about it Se-chan, it was an accident." She might have sounded calm and cool, but looking closer, her body shook and she had a giant blush on her face.

"I'm so very, very sorry girls. I didn't mean to..." Negi tried to explain. He turn and faced Chachamaru, "Is there anything I can help you with Chachamaru-san?"

"Uhh...Y-yes I did, Negi-sensei." Chachamaru had a hard time getting over what she had seen, "I went to Satomi as I was ordered to and I am happy to report that there are no malfunctions." She said giving Negi a small smile.

Negi smiled back, "Well, that's very good to hear." Chachamaru began to overheat a bit after Negi smiled at her.

"Chachamaru...please wait." They turned around and saw Hakase Satomi walking towards them, red-faced and all out of breath.

"Are you okay Satomi-san?" Negi asked out of concern for one of his students.

"G-good morning Negi-sensei," Satomi leaned against the wall of the corridors, "I ran after Chachamaru when she left the lab. There are still some more test I want to run just to be sure."

"But Satomi-san, Chachamaru-san said she was fine. Why do you need to do more tests?" Negi asked the mad scientist.

Satomi looked at her short professor, "Well sensei, Chachamaru's components are in working order and microprocessor is functioning properly."

Negi still didn't understand, "Then, what is the problem?"

"When I looked into her hard drive, she started to act differently. She knocked down my tools, she tripped over the wires in the lab and landed on my computer." Satomi recollected all the accidents that happened in her lab.

"You messed up another place, even when Hakase didn't find anything wrong with you. What is going on in that thing you call a brain Chachamaru?" Evangeline asked her.

"Negi-sensei, I have a question." Satomi interjected.

"What is it Satomi-san?" Negi asked her.

Satomi smiled at him, "When are we going to meet this daughter of yours and Yue?"

It was like the wind got punched out of Negi when Satomi asked him that, "Wha-wha-wha-what are you talking about Satomi-san?"

Satomi's smile got bigger, "There were a bunch of photos in Chachamaru's hard drive. At first I thought Yue went through an amazing body change. But, Chachamaru also had some audio saved and I managed to listen to some of it before Chachamaru fell on my computer. Natsuko is a very nice name for your daughter."

Negi looked at Chachamaru, "Chachamaru-san, why did you..."

"I'm sorry Negi-sensei, I didn't mean to." Chachamaru tried to explain.

"You shouldn't blame Chachamaru boya." Evangeline said to Negi, "She has been given orders to photograph new and mysterious people we meet."

Chachamaru nodded her head, "It's true Negi-sensei. I was following Master's orders."

Negi turned to Satomi, "Satomi-san, you can't say anything about this to anyone. Please, I don't know what I would do if they found out, especially Yue-san."

Satomi nodded her head in agreement, "Don't worry about me professor, My lips are sealed." She pressed her fingers to her mouth and moved them across like a zipper.

"But there is one thing I want to know." Satomi asked Negi as he and the other girls made their way to the classroom.

"What's that Satomi-san?" Negi asked her as they were reaching the door.

"Is there a difference in making love to a Mage than to an average person?" Satomi said with her hand on her chin.

Negi couldn't breathe, "Can you please not talk like that in front of the others?"

"It's an innocent question Negi-sensei. Do you think Yue would tell me after the first night of your honeymoon?" Satomi asked her professor.

While the other girls were trying to rid themselves of a spicy image of adult Negi and Yue in bed together, no one saw Chachamaru looking down on the floor, her right hand balled up into a fist.

"You said you wouldn't talk about it Satomi-san, remember?" Negi told her as he was about to slide the door open.

"Sorry professor, I completely forgot. I was thinking for the sake of science." She said with a little smile on her face.

Negi's gaze was still on the girls as he opened the door, even when he entered the room. But, he should have paid attention as he took a couple of steps in the room, "Aaahh!" Because he walked into something.

Whatever he walked into, it had broken his fall, something bulky and flat. It took Negi a few seconds to realize he didn't land on something, but rather someone. It took even longer to realize he landed on Yue. One of his legs between the two of hers and his hand on her undeveloped chest.

Wolf whistles, cat calls and snickering all came from Negi's class, "How shameful professor." One of his students said, "It's not shameful, it's bold." Another one of his students said. "Maybe he likes people watching him as he does it. Go for it professor!" Half of the class cheer him on, giving thumps up, while the other half had mad, angry and envious looks on their faces.

"Well, it seems that the boya wants to start early on his daughter's birth." Evangeline said to Konoka, Setsuna, Satomi and Chachamaru as they entered the classroom and went to their seats.

Negi heard a 'click' and saw Kazumi taking a picture with her digital camera of the naughty scene, "This is going to be in the yearbook."

After she took the picture, she was asked by the class to make copies for them, "You should have been outside earlier if you wanted an even more spicy picture Asakura." Evangeline said to her and then looking at Konoka and Setsuna.

Both girls looked at each other, a full face blush on them and turned away and went to their desks.

Negi quickly stood up off of Yue, "I'm so very, very, very sorry Yue-san. I didn't mean for that to happen." Negi was red all over from embarrassment. He offered his hand to help her get stand up.

Yue had gotten backup by herself, "It's okay professor, really." She said to him, "It was my fault for standing so close to the door." Yue may have been cool as a cucumber on the outside, but on the inside, she was shaky and embarrassed.

She could feel her classmates eyes on her as she made her way to her desk all the way in the back. She didn't want to look at anybody right now, least of all Nodoka.

Nodoka didn't know want to think or say to Yue. She knew it was an accident and Yue didn't know that would happen. But knowing Yue, she would try to her best to apologize to her for what happened. She looked at her best friend as she went to her desk, but she didn't look back.

Yue sat at her desk. Folded her arms and rest her head on top of them. She wished for the day to end as quickly as possible and to get away from everyone.

Negi walked awkwardly to his desk, "Okay...I'm going to take...attendance now." He had a problem get his words out of his mouth. The girls winked at him and made their voices sound seductive as he took attendance, possibly trying to gain his attention on them. He noticed something when he reached Asuna's name, she wasn't there.

It wasn't like Asuna to be late or absent, 'She's probably still be delivering the newspaper.' Negi thought to himself. He realized he still has a class to teach, Asuna can still come to class. "Okay girls, please open your text books to page 66."

* * *

It was a battle unlike any other. The anticipation of your enemy, the quick-thinking behind his attacks and the look on his face when he thinks he has you defeated.

But luckily for Natsuko, she was taught by the best, "It looks like I win again old man." She said with smile on her face. The feeling of triumph sinking into her.

"That's five games already." The dean couldn't believe the luck the young lady was having. He lost five times at 'GO' against Negi's daughter. "Where did you learn to play so well?" He asked as he set up the board for a sixth game.

"It's not 'Where I learned', it's 'Who taught me to play' you should be asking me." Natsuko said to him.

The dean went over what Natsuko said in his head, 'Who taught me to play? Let me see...her moves are awfully familiar and she is the second person to beat me at GO, the first was...' It was then when the dean realized who showed Natsuko how to play, "You were taught by Eva-kun?"

Natsuko smiled and nodded her head, "I knew you would figure it out. Yes, Aunt Eva taught me how to play, it's one of my many happy memories."

"I never would have thought that Evangeline would teach another person besides your dad and I never would have thought she would teach someone how to play 'GO'." The dean said to her. "She must be different in your time than she is in ours."

"She is, she isn't the same Aunt Eva I know. But 28 years can really change a person or 12." Natsuko said to him.

"What do you mean 'a person or 12' Natsuko-kun?" The dean didn't understand that last bit of information.

"What? Nothing, it's nothing. Don't worry about it. He-he-he." Natsuko said with a nervous laugh, "Anyway, I think I have found a way out of the problem concerning all of your students at Mahora." Natsuko quickly changed the topic.

The dean knew Natsuko wasn't going to say anymore about what she let slip out, so he decided not to press the matter, "What do you have in mind Natsuko-kun?"

* * *

It was uncomfortable for Negi to teach his class today. But then again, it was even more uncomfortable today than any of the other days. Some of the girls were whispering about what had happened before class and the others were taking quick glances at the back of the classroom to look at Yue. It was difficult for Yue not to make eye contact with any of them.

It was especially difficult for Negi. He made an effort not to look at Yue and especially Nodoka. He didn't call on them to read and he didn't walk by their desks when he went to check on the work of the other girls.

But Negi had a bigger problem, Asuna hasn't made it to class and the school day was about to be over, 'She should have made it to school a couple of hours ago.' Negi thinks to himself.

"Negi-sensei." Ayaka calls out his name, "Are you all right, sir?"

Negi snaps back to attention, "I'm fine iincho-san." He said with a smile.

"So what's our homework Negi-sensei?" Ayaka asked him. The rest of the class groaned.

"Actually girls, we are a little ahead of the lesson plan so I didn't prepare any homework for you today." Negi said to his class. The girls cheered from the good news, "Just re-read the chapter from today's lesson to make sure you understand it." After yesterday, Negi didn't have time to plan any new homework. He would have to when he gets back home.

With the ringing of the school bell, class was over for another day, "Girls, as you leave, please put your homework from yesterday on my desk." Negi said as he gathered his books together.

"Negi-sensei?" Ayaka walked up to his desk, "Yes, iincho-san?"

"Well sir, I was wondering if you would like to come to this little event the Equestrian club has set up. I will be in it of course." Ayaka said to him.

"Negi-sensei." Haruna pushed Ayaka down to the side and went up front to Negi. "What is it Haruna-san?" Negi asked her.

"If you are not doing anything this afternoon, would you mind helping us in the library today?" Yue and Nodoka couldn't believe their friend. After what happenend, she is still trying to get Negi with one of them. "We have to go to library island and re-shelf the books, but there is so many and we would like a little bit of help."

Ayaka got back up and stood next to Haruna, "Haruna, I asked Negi-sensei first and I'm sure he would like to see what the Equestrian club has to offer." Ayaka said with a glint in her eye.

"Come on iincho-san, He didn't even answer you yet." Haruna said to her.

"That's because you knocked me down before he gave his response." Ayaka countered.

"But we need all the help we can get, right Nodoka? Yue?" Haruna said to the girls in the back of the room.

Yue and Nodoka looked at Negi and a small blush and smile appered on their face. They looked at each other and remembered what happened before class started. The blush and smile were gone and they both looked down at the floor.

Negi tried very hard not to replay the event concerning Yue, "I'm sorry girls, but I'm afraid that can't go anywhere today." He said to them, "If it was anyother day I might, but yesterday was very hectic for me and I couldn't get any lesson plan done other than today's. I need to get home on work on tomorrow's lesson plan." With that said, he pick up his things and the homework and left the classroom.

* * *

Negi left the classroom and saw Setsuna and Konoka standing outside, "Are you okay Negi-kun? We saw what was happening inside." Konoka asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just hate saying no to people." Negi said to her.

"Well, at least you came up with that believable excuse Negi-sensei." Setsuna said to Negi.

Negi scratched the back of his head, "To tell you the truth, I do have to plan tomrrow's lesson."

"Huh? Why Negi-sensei? I thought you had everything already planned out." Setsuna asked him.

"After all that has happened yesterday, I can't think straight and it seems to be geting worse." Negi referred to the Yue incident. "I was lucky enough to have today's lesson already planned out."

Negi rubbed his face with his free hand. Setsuna and Konoka knew Negi was tired, "What are you girls going to do?" He asked them.

"Se-chan and me are going into town today to get some shopping done. How about you Negi-kun?" Konoka said to him.

"I'm going to head back to the dorm room. We haven't been there since yesterday." He told Konoka and Setsuna. "Did either of you two notice that Asuna never came to class today?"

Konoka nodded, "I did Negi-kun. I wonder why she didn't show up? It's so unlike her not to come to class."

"Maybe she wasn't feeling well." Setsuna tried to give an answer to Asuna's absence, "She did fight yesterday and she woke up pretty early today, so she couldn't have rested well. She could be back at the dorm room, asleep in her bed."

"I hope so." Negi really did want Asuna to be in her bed. He needed to be sure, "You girls go ahead and go shopping, I'm going to see if Asuna is in the dorm room. We'll meet up there, okay?"

Setsuna and Konoka agreed to his little plan and they went of to one end of the hall, while Negi went to the other.

* * *

As Negi walked down the steps of the academy, he couldn't help but think about today, 'I can't believe I embarrassed Yue in front of the class today. I hope she can forgive me.' Negi thought to himself. 'I never noticed it before, but Yue has very beatiful eyes.'

Negi let that last thought sink into his brain, 'Whoa. Where did that come from?' He took the time to breath, 'Yue is one of my students. I can't think about her that way.' 'But we do have a daughter together...I mean we will have a daughter...wait, what am I thinking?'

As he got off the steps, there was someone waiting for him outside the brick fence, "Hi papa."

Natsuko was standing there, wearing a white shirt with long black sleeves. A black and white checker-pattern skirt that reached above her knees. Black sneakers with white stripes going around it and white knee-high sock. She hid all of her blue hair underneath a black cap. She had on black sunglasses to cover her eyes, "Natsuko-san What are you doing here?" Negi asked her.

Natsuko smiled at him, "School was over and I wanted to walk home with you papa." Her smile got wider. Negi was amazed at how much Natsuko looked like Yue.

"What if somebody sees you?" Negi asked Natsuko.

Natsuko shook her head, "Don't worry papa. I'm wearing a black cap and sunglass to cover my face. I didn't want anyone mistaking me for mama." She lifted a gym bag in her left hand, "The dean gave me one of Mahora academy's gym bag to put my white cloak in." Her blue orb staff was leaning against the wall.

"What about the Headmaster? Why aren't you with him?" He asked her.

"Well, after I beat him at GO for the 50th time today," The cries of defeat coming from an elderly man can be heard in the afternoon's breeze, "He thought it would be in your safest interest that I should protect you after classes were over."

Negi was surprised at Natsuko, she had an answer for his questions, "That's okay Natsuko-san, I don't need any protection."

Natsuko shook her head, "But papa, your protection is my number one concern. I can't let anything bad happen to you."

He tried to reason with her, "Nothing bad is going to me. I may not have my staff with me, but I have the ring Evangeline-san gave me, so that should be enough for me."

"Please papa." Natsuko begged him, "I just want to protect you and be by your side."

Negi knew she was going to let this go. She is really concern about his safety. He nodded his head, "Okay Natsuko-san, I guess you can protect me."

Natsuko had a look of complete joy, "Oh thank you papa, thank you." She picked up her gym bag off of the ground and her staff from the wall and proceeded to walk back to the dorm rooms with Negi.

Negi and Natsuko felt awkward with each other as they headed to the dorm rooms. Actually, Negi felt more awkward than Natsuko, 'This is the first time that I am alone with Natsuko-san, What do I do?' He thought to himself. 'I have to think of something to say.' He looked at her and tried to say something, that's when he noticed her staff again, "That is a pretty interesting staff you have Natsuko-san."

Natsuko looked down at her papa, "Uhh...yes it is. It's actually a graduation present."

"Really? Who gave it to you Natsuko-san?" Negi tried to keep the conversation going.

"You did papa." Natsuko answered him.

Negi couldn't believe it, "I...what?"

"You gave me this staff when I graduated from magic school last year." She said to him as she looked at her staff lovingly, "It's my most treasured possession. You said the blue orb reminded you of me."

"That seems like a good graduation to receive Natsuko-san." He said to her.

"Umm...papa? Can you do me a favor?" Natsuko asked him timidly.

Negi nodded his head, "If I can, I will. What is it Natsuko-san?"

She took a deep breath, "Can you please stop saying my name so formally?"

Negi took a second before answering her, "But why? I address all of my students this way and as their teacher-"

"But that's the thing papa, I'm not one of your students, I'm your daughter." Natsuko tried very hard to convice her father, "Everytime you say my name with _san_ at the end of it, it makes me feel so distant. I feel like I am a stranger to you."

Negi saw the depressed look on Natsuko's face. He didn't know he was hurting her by saying her name the same way he does to the other girls, "Consider it done...Natsuko." He said with a smile.

The sad look was off her face and she gave a little smile in return, "Thank you papa."

They were nearing the dorm rooms as they kept on walking, "So papa, how was work today?"

Negi knew she meant class today, "Oh, good as always. Can't complain, even if I wanted to." He said with a little joke.

"How was mama? Did you call on her to answer any questions? Did you volunteer her to read out loud in class?" Natsuko really wanted to know how Yue did today.

Negi decided not to tell her about the early morning accident involving Yue, "She didn't feel like...talking today."

Natsuko gave a disappointed sigh, "Well, did anything unusual happen when you were teaching your class?" She needed to know if there was any attempt on his life.

Negi shook his head, "No, but Asuna never came to class today."

Natsuko snapped to attention, "She didn't?" She sounded worried.

"No. She left early in the morning to deliver the newspaper as she always does, but she never showed up." Negi and Natsuko turned the corner, "I think she might have gotten sick and returned to the dorm room to sleep."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's what happened." Natsuko hoped her father was right.

As father and daughter continued their way to the dorm rooms, a white cloaked person saw them from above one of the many buildings in Mahora academy, "Natsuko, what have you done?" The brother who followed her said to himself. He disappeared to tell his two other brothers.

* * *

A breeze blew and gently stroked her face, '...Huh?...Where...where am I?' Asuna thought groggily.

She opened her eyes and tried to focus them. She was outside by the forest and sitting down on the grass. She looked to her right and saw the town from above, 'To see the rooftops of all the buildings, I must be very high up.' She said to herself. Asuna looked behind her and saw the World Tree.

She was still in her clothes from this morning, 'The last thing I remember was delivering the newspaper and then...I helped this little old lady...and things went dark after that.' She said in her mind.

Asuna lifted her arms to rub her eyes, but felt a great wieght on them. She looked down on her arms and saw iron handcuffs on both of her wrists with chains connected to it and to the World Tree, "Mmmph...hmm?" Asuna tried to talk, but she wasn't able to.

Unable to see what was covering her mouth, she moved her hands to her mouth to feel what it was. It felt like paper and it was sealed tight to her mouth.

Asuna tried to look for the person who did this to her. She looked everywhere for the culprit or culprits.

She felt a strong gust of wind and covered her face.

After the wind had died down, Asuna looked from behind her hands and saw a person of average height clad in dark robes. Asuna knew it was similar to the ones Eton had worn yesterday.

Asuna got up from the grass, "Mmmph mmmph mmmph..." She tried to yell at person, but was unable to due to the paper on her mouth.

The dark robed person walked towards Asuna and was face to face with her. The robed person didn't say anything, the person just raised its arm and put its open hand in front of her face.

A pink gas was sprayed into Asuna's face, "Mmmph?" 'This gas...it's...' Asuna was losing her balance and her focus. Everthing was going dark, 'Not again...' She fell to the ground.

"I can't have you awake Asuna." The dark robed person said in a woman's voice, "At least not yet. I have to get our other guests, then the party can begin." She said with a small evil laugh.

* * *

Author's Note: What is going to happen to Asuna? Who are these other guests that the woman in the dark robes mention? What are Natsuko's brothers going to say when they confront her?

Yeah, that's right. The next chapter you will find out the identity of her brothers and who exactly their mothers are.

It's been a while readers. Sorry I haven't put up the next chapters sooner, I have just been so busy. I will try to post the next chapter soon.

If you read the review from 'The Fallen Swordsman' it's not true. I don't know who he is, so how he thinks he knows me is a mytersy I plan to solve. In the mean time, I will review his story; reader you should too. He said it's a Maburaho story. Until next time, See you there.


	7. Chapter Six

The Children Of The Pactio

Chapter Six

The birds chirped, the wind blow a gentle breeze, the flowers were in bloom and Asakura Kazumi took pictures of it all, "This is probably the most boring thing to photograph." Her spirit however, wasn't in it.

"Oh I don't know Kazumi, I think it is rather pretty." Aisaka Sayo, the ghost girl said to her. She was floating right behind Kazumi.

"You know what I would like to photograph right now Sayo?" Kazumi asked her.

"What would that be Kazumi?" Sayo asked out of curiosity.

"Negi-kun; head-to-head against demons, monsters, evil mages and all the malevolence forces out there trying to destroy the world." Kazumi said with such passion, her hand balled up into a fist. She looked back to the flowers, "But instead, I have flowers."

Sayo had a nervous smile on her face, "Well, I guess after seeing things that you only read about in fantasy books, the normal world seems dull."

Kazumi agreed with her ghost friend, "That's true. I don't understand how Chisame can find the normal world so fascinating." Sayo nodded her head.

As Kazumi continued to take photos, she saw an elderly woman through her camera. She was out on the grass field on her knees, "Do you think she's alright?" Kazumi asked Sayo.

"She seems to be picking flowers Kazumi." Sayo answered her.

Kazumi wasn't so sure, "I don't know. She could be having a health problem." She calls out to the old woman, "Excuse me ma'am, are you alright?"

The old woman looks up and sees Kazumi, "Oh, why yes I am. Thank you for asking dear." She responded in a grandmother-type of voice. She got up from the grass field and walked over to her.

Sayo saw several flowers in the old woman's hand, 'So I was right, she was picking flowers.' Sayo wasn't afraid of being seen by the elderly woman. She knew only those of class 2-A or those who can use magic would be able to see her.

The elderly woman made her way from the grass field and now stood in front of Kazumi, "I saw you were taking some pictures of the flowers here and I noticed you overlooked these." She held a bouquet of flowers up to Kazumi's face.

Kazumi put her camera on the grass and took the flowers from the old woman, "I have never seen this type of flowers before, what are they?" She asked the old woman.

The old woman smiled at her, "I created them by cross-breeding Lilies and Tulips. I call them Lilips. Do you like them?" She asked Kazumi.

Kazumi inhaled the the flowers' scent, "They smell very beautiful." Kazumi told the old lady. She saw Sayo out of the corner of her eye, floating between her and the old woman, "I don't know about the smell, but they look beautiful."

"Do you really think they smell beautiful?" the elderly woman asked Kazumi.

She nodded her head and the elderly woman smiled bigger, "Well then, why don't a take another whiff?"

Kazumi inhaled the scent again, "Ma'am, I hav-" Kazumi felt a slight headache starting up.

"Kazumi, are you alright?" Sayo whispered to her friend. She saw Kazumi grab the side of her forehead.

Kazumi felt her headache getting stronger. She couldn't keep her balance and everything was getting fuzzy, "...Hey, w-what's wrong w-with...m-m-me?"

The elderly woman kept a smile on her face as Kazumi dropped the flowers and fell to the grass, unconscious.

"Kazumi? Kazumi? Kazumi?" Sayo didn't know what happened to her friend. One minute she was smelling the flowers and the next she fell to the ground. Sayo hoped she wasn't dead.

"You shouldn't worry about Asakura." Sayo looked up and saw the old woman was looking at her. "You should be worrying about yourself."

Sayo couldn't believe it, "Y-you can see me?" She asked the elderly woman.

The old woman still had her smile on her face,"Yes I can...Aisaka Sayo."

The old woman held a small yellow bottle in her other hand. She removed the small cork from the top of the bottle and pointed it to Sayo, _"LAGENA SIGNATORIA." _The bottle began to suck-in Sayo.

"W-what's happening?" Sayo asked as she was being pulled into the bottle.

The outside world disappeared and Sayo was seal away to obscurity of the bottle.

The old woman placed the cork on the bottle again close Sayo inside. She bend down and with incredible strength, pick up Kazumi and flung the reporter girl over her right shoulder.

"Ten to go." The elderly woman said to herself as she carried Kazumi and the bottle with Sayo inside towards the world tree.

* * *

'What an idiot.' Chisamethought to herself as she sat at her computer, uploading some new photos, 'What was he thinking when he fell on Yue?'

She had taken photos with her dressed up in a skimpy little red riding hood outfit, with the skirt way too above her knees, 'Enlarge the breasts, remove the acne...' Chisame went over in her head.

'Still, I must admit, I do feel sorry for Yue. If it was me...' Chisame pictured the same position Negi was in, only this time it was herself instead of Yue.

Negi's hand on her chest and in-between her legs. She even pictured herself in the red riding hood outfit instead of her school outfit.

Chisame shook her head to get rid of the image, 'What am I thinking? He's just a kid.'

She heard small rustling coming from inside her closet, but ignored it, 'I got to stay focused at the task at hand.' She said in her head.

As she was putting the final touches on her new photos, she received an e-mail, 'Beep.' 'Huh? I haven't posted the new pictures yet, but someone already sends me a message.' Chisame couldn't believe her fans, 'It would be rude of me if I don't answer it.'

She looked at the e-mail and saw under the subject bar, 'To Chiu, A.K.A: Hasegawa Chisame.'

"What?!" She couldn't believe it. Someone knows the truth about her, 'How? How did they find out about me? Other than the brat, no one else knows.'

She looked to see who sent her the e-mail, but saw no address, 'How can this be possible?' She heard more small rustling from her closet again.

"I got to find out who this is." Chisame moved her mouse over the e-mail icon and clicked on it, 'Click.'

The moment she opened the e-mail the whole screen shines an intense, bright, white light, "What the-" Chisame is engulfed by the white light.

When the light began to fade, Chisame's body was on the floor, unconscious, the chair turned over and everything on the computer desk on the floor.

The rustlings from the closet grew louder. The doors of the closet open from the inside and a person in black robes emgered and looked down upon Chisame's body, "Nine to go." The robed person said as Chisame was picked up from the floor and taken from her room.

* * *

'1, 2 and...3.' Nagase Kaede threw three shurikens and hit the center of the three bulls-eyes she had placed on a tree. She needed to practice on her aim, just in case Negi needed some extra muscle on one of his many missions.

Kaede went into the forest after class was over to train on her ninja skills. Fuka and Fumika wanted to join her, but she incited going alone and tell them to go back to the dorms, apparently Ku Fei didn't hear her. She joined Kaede after school and went into the forest to work on her moves

"You do good." Kaede looked behind her and saw Ku Fei. "I think you much better than before." Fei said with a smile on her face.

Kaede shook her head, "I don't think so." She went over to the tree and collected the shurikens, "Each shuriken hits the bulls-eye one after another. I need them to hit all the bulls-eyes at the same time." She went back to the spot where she was standing and lined up her shot.

"What about you Fei? Are you working on a new routine for Negi-Bouzu?" Kaede asked the Kung-fu girl.

"I is. Negi-Bouzu and me no practice in long time." Fei's smile was replaced with a small frown, "I wonder if he sick?"

Kaede was thinking the same thing, "He was acting strange all through out class today."

"Maybe when he fell on Yue it make him more nervous than ever." Ku Fei said.

"I don't think so," Kaede wasn't so sure, "Being in an intimate position with one of his students while in front of his entire class maybe one of the reason he acted so strangely, but there has to be more than that."

"What you think other reasons are?"Fei wanted to know the other reason why Negi acted so odd.

"Only Negi-Bouzu knows, he will tell us when he wants to. Or if he wants to." Kaede told her and went back to target practice and Ku Fei to her move routines.

As the Kung-Fu girl and the ninja-girl went about with the practices, an odorless, colorless gas filled the air where they are training.

It took a couple of minutes before the gas had an effect. Both girls started to feel woozy and had trouble keeping their balance.

Ku Fei began to move sluggishly. She couldn't move her arms fast enough and couldn't even move her legs, "I no feel good." She said to Kaede.

Ku Fei turn to see Kaede, "You okay Kaede?"

Kaede look at Fei, "No...I'm not." Kaede was losing her focus on the targets. The first shuriken hit the outer rings of the bulls-eye instead of the middle. The second shuriken hit the tree, right between the first and second bulls-eyes.

'THUD'

She was about to throw the last one, when she heard a sound coming from behind her. She turned around and saw Ku Fei on the ground, possibly unconscious.

Kaede dropped to her knees, the shuriken fell out of her hand. She had a hard time staying awake. She laid her body on the grass, everything was going dark. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was a person dressed in black robes materializing out of thin air.

Kaede realized what happened, this was an attack. A sneak-attack by an unknown foe. She should have been better aware, after all, she is a ninja for God's sake.

She could at least take solace in the one right thing she did before she lost consciousness, the twins weren't with her.

The robed person looked at Kaede and then to Fei Ku, "Seven to go."

* * *

"Today's a slow day, right Nodoka?" Haruna asked the bookworm who was sitting to her left. The both of them sat behind the front desk of the library, on library island.

"Nodoka?" Haruna waved her hand in front Nodoka's face. She was trying to get her attention.

Nodoka finally paid attention, "I'm sorry Haruna, what did you say?"

Haruna repeated what she said, "I said it is kind of slow today."

Nodoka looked around and notice that not a single student or teacher was in the library, "You're right Haruna. Where is everybody?"

Haruna shook her head, "I don't know. Usually this place has people in line to check out books, but today it's a ghost town in here."

Nodoka nodded her head and went back sorting the books' catalog cards.

Haruna looked to her right and saw Yue coming up the steps. She was carrying three cans in her arms. She walked up to the front desk and handed one of the cans to Haruna, "Here Haruna, I got you your lemonade."

Haurna took the lemonade from Yue, "Thanks alot Yue." "What did you get for yourself Yue?" Haruna asked her.

"I got a new flavor, cherry-carrot. Would you like to try it Haruna?" Yue asked her.

Haruna had an uncomfortable look on her face, "Ughh...no, that's okay, but thanks anyway." She told Yue as she opened her can and drank her lemonade.

Yue had one can left, "Here-you-go-Nodoka." She said fast as she walked over to her quickly, placed the can in front of Nodoka, walked back and took a seat on the other side of Haruna.

"Thank you Yue." Nodoka said meekly.

'When are they going to stop acting like this?' Haruna asked herself in her mind.

The two best friends had still not spoken since class was over. Haruna was in the middle (literally) of Yue and Nodoka. She tried so many different ways to get them to start talking again.

She tried asking simple questions like, "Nice weather we're having, right?" to "Did either of you two understand Negi-kun's lesson today? I'm having a hard time." They only responded with a nod or a shrug of the shoulders.

'Why are they like...' Haruna didn't have to finish the question, she knew why they were acting like this, 'Negi-kun.' She couldn't believe they still were thinking about the incident that happened.

All of a sudden Haruna got an idea, 'If Negi-kun is the cause of this problem, then maybe he can be the solution.' Her idea might get them talking to each other than.

"You know, I decided to ask out Negi-kun out on a date." Haruna told her friends with much confidence in her voice.

"WHAT?!" Yue and Nodoka said loud enough that it hurt both of Haruna's ears.

"Oww...I think me and Negi-kun will go see a movie this Saturday. Maybe a comedy or a romance." She told the two of them.

Yue and Nodoka couldn't believe what Haruna was saying.

"I know, we'll go see a horror movie and everytime he gets scared he will jump into my arms." Haruna said to them fixing her glasses.

"B-b-b-but you can't Haruna...Negi-sensei...I..." Nodoka didn't know what to say to her.

"What Nodoka is trying to say is he is our professor and five years younger than us Paru." Yue helped Nodoka.

Haruna looked at both of her friends, "That doesn't matter. Love knows neither age or rank." She said placing her hands over her heart.

Both Yue and Nodoka shot out of their seats, "You love Negi-kun?!"

Haruna smiled at them, "I see that you two are talking again, my plan worked."

Yue and Nodoka looked at each other and then to Haruna, "You were tricking us to get us talking to each other."

Haruna smiled back, "It worked didn't it."

Yue had to admit it, even if Haruna's plan was cruel, it had broken the tension between herself and Nodoka, "Nodoka?"

Nodoka looked at Yue, "Y-yes Yue?"

"I w-want to ap-apologize about the incident concerning N-negi-sensei..." Yue couldn't look Nodoka in her eyes.

Nodoka looked away as Yue tried to apologize, "No that's okay Yue. It was your fault..."

"Of course it wasn't." Yue and Nodoka looked up at Haruna, "You don't have to apologize Yue." She said to them.

"What do you mean Paru?" Yue asked her.

Haruna decided to make everything clear once and for all, "It wasn't your fault Yue. How were you to know that Negi-kun would land on you?"

Yue knew Haruna was right. But still, she wondered how Nodoka feels.

"Nodoka knows you didn't have any control over what happened and that you feel terrible about it." It was if Haruna had read Yue's mind.

Haruna then turned to Nodoka, "Nodoka, you must understand how Yue feels. To have Negi-kun on top of her in an intimate position and in front of the whole class, how do you think she feels?"

Nodoka knew Yue felt awful about what happened and if she was in Yue's shoes when that happened, she would have died of embarrassment. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything Nodoka." Haruna said to her, "Nodoka, you know Yue didn't mean for this to happen." She then look at Yue, "Yue, Nodoka knows you're sorry."

Nodoka and Yue looked at each other again and a small smile crept on their face.

Haruna looked at both of her friends, "Good, now that that's out of the way, let's get back to organizing this books." She placed her hand on a pile of books. Yue and Nodoka nodded their heads.

"This is the last thing I will say girls." Yue and Nodoka looked back to Haruna, "Count yourselves lucky it was one of you two that Negi-kun landed on and not some other girl." She looked at them both, "You know how most of the girls feel about Negi-kun and something like this might push them to admit how they feel about him."

"Even if they admit how they feel, Negi-sensei doesn't know anything about being in love." Yue countered.

"That doesn't matter, if one of the girls say how the truly feel about him, Negi-kun will see the lucky girl in a whole new light and he will keep his options open when the time comes and we graduate."

"I told Negi-sensei how I feel about him, but he still acts the same around me." Nodoka said.

"Doesn't Negi-kun talk to you more than he used to? Doesn't he call on you so you can read in class more? Don't you find it a little more easier to talk to him?" Haruna asked her.

Nodoka thought back to how Negi treats her now after she admitted her love for him, "Well, yes I have."

"You see Yue, if you spent a little more time with Negi-kun, he might treat you the same as Nodoka." Haruna pointed out to her.

"But-" Yue was about to say, before Haruna interrupted her.

"Enough with the buts." Haruna said to her, "The two of you are fighting for his affection whether you know it are not.I know the two of you won't try nothing underhanded to each other and you will each other a fair chance to get Negi to love you."

Nodoka and Yue silently nodded. They both knew it was true and they both will give one another a shot at Negi's heart.

Haruna grabbed her lemonade from off the counter and held it up in the air, "Girls, I propose a toast."

Nodoka and Yue grabbed their drinks and held it up next to Haruna's.

"Here's to the two of you. One of you might be Negi's future girlfriend and possibly, the next Mrs. Springfield, cheers." Yue and Nodoka let out a small giggle at the mention of being Negi's wife one day, but maybe, just maybe...

The three friends finished their drinks and threw the empty cans into the recycling bin, "Okay, now let's try to finish-" Haruna stopped when she felt as if the floor was unbalanced, "That feels weird, do you two-" Haruna looked back to her friends and saw Yue and Nodoka, both on the floor on their hands and knees, breathing heavily.

"Paru." Nodoka was only able to say that last word as she and Yue gently laid on the floor, unconscious.

"Nodoka? Yue?" Both of her friends were out like a light. 'How did this happened?' Haruna asked herself as she was getting light-headed and losing her balance.

She tried to find out how this happened whenshe came upon the recycling bin, 'Could it have been our drinks?' Haruna lost all focus and fell onto the counter.

From above the roof, a dark robed figure phased out of the roof and stood upside down, "Finally, I thought they would never shut up and drink their juice." The figure said in a woman's voice.

The robed woman jump down from the roof, turn right side up and like a feather, landed softly on the floor, "Four down."

* * *

Leaving right after class, Konoe Konoka and Sakurazaki Setsuna were still in their uniforms. They decided to not return to the dorms yet, they wanted to do some shopping while there was some time left in the day.

Both girls haven't said a word to each other since they left school. Setuna wanted to say something, but with what happened earlier today in the hallway, nothing came to mind.

Konoka looked over at Setsuna as they walked, "Umm..Se-chan?"

Setsuna returned to attention, "Uh, y-yes Ojou-sama?"

"I'm hungry." Konoka told her, "How about you?"

"I'm not Ojou-sama, but if you are, we can find something to eat right away." Setsuna looked for a place where Konoka could eat.

"Yeah, let's find somewhere to eat. I can't shop on an empty stomach." She told her. Setsuna could only smile, Konoka was so much like a child at times.

"Se-chan, about what happened..."

Setsuna couldn't believe that Konoka was bringing up the incident between the two of them, "W-we don't have to talk about it Ojou-sama." She had to stop her from talking about the 'kiss'.

But Konoka wasn't listening, "But Se-chan, we do have to talk about this."

Setsuna shook her head, "No, that's okay Ojou-sama. Let's act like it never happened, okay?"

"Se-chan..."

"Please Ojou-sama." Setsuna begged her.

Konoka could see that Setsuna really didn't want to talk about it, "Okay Se-chan, I won't say anything." She said to her.

Setsuna was so relieved, that she didn't notice the sad look on Konoka's face.

As they turned the corner, they came upon a Yatai (Food stall). Setsuna figured this would have to do for now, "Ojou-sama, would you like to eat here?"

Konoka wasn't paying attention.

"Ojou-sama?"

Konoka looked at Setsuna, "I'm sorry Se-chan what did you say?"

"Would you like to eat here?" Setsuna repeated her question.

Konoka looked up and saw the Yatai, "This looks like a good place to eat."

They both entered and sat down in front of a counter on the provided stools in the Yatai, Setsuna placed her nodachi (Large Sword) upon the counter.

A young woman, about 20 or 21 come up to the counter with an order pad in her hands, "What can I get you girls?"

Konoka looked at the scrolls on the wall to choose her order, "Hmm, everything sounds good. I don't know what to order."

"Ojou-sama, I don't mean to rush you, but if you wish to go shopping you must choose something now." Setsuna told Konoka.

"I'm sorry Se-chan, But I just don't know what to order." Konoka looked at the waitress who has been watching the conversation between the two, "Miss, what do you recommend?"

The waitress looked at Konoka, "Well, I like the North Country Noodles myself. I guess you might like it too."

Konoka nodded, "Okay then, one order of North Country Noodles please."

The waitress wrote down the order, "One North Country Noodles, coming right up." Then she looked at Setsuna, "What would you like Miss?"

Setsuna shook her head, "Nothing for me thank you, just her order."

The waitress looked at Setsuna with a look of perplexity, "Are you sure?" Setsuna nodded her head. After the waitress made sure she had the order written, she went into the kitchen and began on Konoka's order.

As the waitress worked in the kitchen, Setsuna looked around and noticed no one else was passing by. For a busy street, it seemed too empty. There was no one around the Yatai, 'This feels too peculiar.' Setsuna thought to herself. She looked over To Konoka.

Konoka however had her mind on something else.

She went over what Setsuna had said_, 'Let's act like it never happened._' Even if the 'kiss' was an accident, that was probably the closest she was ever going to get with Setsuna and with her saying to forget about it, it was as if Setsuna denied Konoka her happiness.

She looked at Setsuna and saw her looking back, "Se-chan?"

Setsuna looked right into her eyes, "Yes Ojou-sama?"

Konoka moved closer to her, "Se-chan, I-"

"One order of North Country Noodles, enjoy." The waitress placed the bowl on the counter in front of Konoka.

Konoka looked at the noodles she order. A blue bowl filled with noodles, chopped vegetables and a huge crab in the middle. She grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the cup holding a bunch of them.

"Itadakimasu." Konoka said as she broke the chopsticks down the middle and began to eat her meal.

The waitress looked at Konoka, "Well, what do you think? Is it good?"

Konoka finished her first bite, "Good?, It's delicious. It's the best thing I have ever had." She said with a smile on her face.

"I'm glad to hear that." The waitress said. She walked over to Setsuna, "Are you really sure you are not going to have something to eat. The food is really quite good."

"I'm not really that hungry." Setsuna told the young lady.

Setsuna saw Konoka as she continued eating. She looked around the Yatai and still saw no one around, "It's must be a slow day for you."

"What do you mean?" The waitress didn't know what Setsuna meant by that.

"I mean there are no other customers than ourselves." Setsuna told her.

The waitress understood better now, "I just opened two days ago, that's why I'm not getting many customers."

"Oh." Setsuna said, 'But that doesn't explain why there isn't a single person on the streets.'

"Yummy." Setsuna looked back to Konoka and saw break off a leg from the crab and ate the meat inside. Setsuna could see the smile on her face.

"Your friend must be really hungry." The waitress said to Setsuna.

Setsuna nodded, her eyes still on Konoka, "Yeah, she really is." She saw Konoka break off another crabs' leg.

"If she keeps eating like that, she might eat the bowl as well." The waitress said jokingly.

Setsuna laugh a bit, "Your chef must be an excellent cook." She said to the waitress

"Actually, I cooked it myself." She corrected Setsuna.

"You cooked it?" Setsuna asked her, not believing her.

The waitress nodded her head, "I did. I don't have the money to hire a professional chef, so until I do I have to do everything around here."

"Well, I wish you do find some good help." Setsuna said to her.

The waitress smiled, "Thank you so much for the kind words."

'THUD'

Setsuna and the waitress looked over to where Konoka was sitting. She had fallen on top of the counter, Most of the food in the bowl was all over the floor, the bowl itself was smashed.

Setsuna moved quickly to her, "Ojou-sama!, Are you alright?" She asked her, but got no response.

'Is she...' Setsuna thought the worst, but when she saw Konoka still breathing she was a little relieved, 'She's just unconscious, Thank God.'

She looked at the waitress, "What was in the noodles?"

The waitress shook her head, "Nothing, just crab, noodles, vegetables and the broth."

Setsuna shook Konoka, "Ojou-sama, please wake up." Setsuna couldn't wake up Konoka.

"Sakurazaki Setsuna."

Setsuna stopped shaking. Did she her the waitress correctly? She wanted to ask how did she know her, but when she looked up from Konoka to the waitress, she only saw a fist coming right towards her face.

'BLAM'

The punch sent Setsuna through the wall of the Yatai.

'SLAM'

She landed hard on the middle of the empty street, unconscious with blood running from her nose and a black eye forming on her face.

Back inside the Yatai, the waitress looked at the hole she made by punching Setsuna into the wall, "If you had just ordered the noodles, I wouldn't have needed to hurt you." She looked the fist she used to punch Setsuna with and noticed some of Setsuna's blood on it. She brought her fist to her mouth and licked off the blood, "Mmm, Tasty."

The image of the young waitress disappeared and a dark robed figure took its place.

The robed figure walked over to where Setsuna was sitting before and took her nodachi. The figure looked to its right and a second robed figure appeared out of thin air. The second figure wore the same robes as the first one.

"Go and get Sakurazaki off of the street." The first figure said to the second in a female voice.

"No problem." The second figure responded in a female voice as well. The second woman turned around and walked right through the counter and went outside for Setsuna.

The first woman walked over to Konoka. She gently brushed away the hair on her face, "Just two more."

* * *

It was just Evangeline and Chachamaru in the Tea Ceremony club today, the other girls in the club had other plans.

Evangeline sat on the floor, her legs folded back. She didn't say a word as she watched Chachamaru prepare the tea. Ever since yesterday and early this morning, she had too much on her mind to even talk to Chachamaru. She only talked when she wanted to make a snappy remark, give Chachamaru an order or just to insult Negi and the other girls. But other than that she was quiet.

'Why? Why does this affect me so much?' She thought to herself.

At first, she went over how the big demon Eton had tricked her into attacking him. She never felt so stupid in all of her life, she hated herself for feeling weak.

She went from hating herself to hating Eton. She hated how he mocked her. She didn't think others beside Chachamaru, the Dean, Negi and the others knew of the curse keeping her on the school grounds, but to know others now knew of it too, it was like a bacteria spreading over a cut. She had to ask herself, if Eton knew about the curse, how many of his friends knew as well?

After finishing hating herself and Eton, she started to remember how she felt when she saw Eton attempt to kill Negi. She didn't know why, but when she saw Eton's sword coming down on Negi, it was as if the air in her lungs was stuck. It was fear that she felt.

For a moment, she imaged a world without Negi and she didn't like it one little bit. She wanted to scream out, but some part of her was holding it back.

'Why? Why does this affect me so much?' She asked herself.

"Master?" Chachamaru got Evangeline's attention, "Huh?"

"Would you like some more tea?" The female robot asked the little vampire.

"Uhh...yeah." Evangeline answered her, 'I have to keep my mind off of the brat.'

While Evangeline might have been questioning what is wrong with her, Chachamaru was having a few of her own problems.

To others she might appear nothing was wrong if her, but taking a closer look anybody can see that she was unwell. She couldn't explain it and Hakase couldn't figure it out as well. Chachamaru was functioning perfectly, but she was making mistakes any chance she had.

Chachamaru knew she had no malfunctions, but she sensed there was something different with herself. Chachamaru accessed her memory banks to when she first started to feel different.

When the mysterious savior revealed herself to be Negi's future daughter, she was surprised, for lack of a better word. But her so-called emotions changed from surprised to depression when it was discovered that Natsuko was the daughter of Negi and Yue. Chachamaru didn't know why she was depressed but maybe it was thinking of Negi together with Yue that made her feel that way.

Her depression soon changed to jealousy. She was jealous that Yue is in love with Negi and will be together with him in the future. It could be years from today or in a couple of months, but whenever it was the gears that make her heart will break and she will lose Negi to another.

But right now, Chachamaru was feeling a brand new emotion as she was mixing Evangeline's tea, envy. She wasn't just envious of Negi's future with Yue, she was envious of what Yue is: human.

'How could Negi-sensei love a machine like me?' Chachamaru thought to herself. She has always wondered if Negi and she fall in love with each other, how could they have a relationship? They wouldn't be able to do all the things that normal couples do. If Negi kissed her, he would feel her cold, metal lips. They wouldn't be able to do one of the most intense, passionate experiences that couples get to share. 'I never had a chance with him.'

"Chachamaru, what's taking so long?" Evangeline asked her.

Chachamaru completely forgot what was she doing, "I'm sorry master, here you go master." She said as she pass the tea cup to her.

Evangeline took the cup from Chachamaru, "Thank you." She was about to take a sip from the up, when she sensed something. Whatever it is, it's very, very close. She turned her head towards the door, "You can come out now."

The door slided open and in walked a a mysterious person wearing a dark robe, "So you knew I was here, huh?" The person said in a female voice as she stood by the door way.

Evangeline kept sitting down and drinking her tea, "I sensed your magical energy outside so it was pretty easy for me." Chachamaru placed down the tea equipment and stood up, ready for anything.

The mystery woman gave a small laugh, "I must admit, that's pretty impressive...for an old hag."

Evangeline cracked the cup in her hand, "Watch what you say to me...little girl." She placed the cup down, "Anyway, seeing from the dark robe, I can assume that you worked with the demon named Eton."

The mystery woman nodded her head. "Well, I'm glad to say that he's dead." Evangeline said to her.

The mystery woman shrugged her shoulders, "That's no big deal. Where he failed, I will succeed with my plan to get to Negi Springfield."

"Exactly what are you planning to do?" Evangeline asked her.

"I plan to knock you out along with your little toy there," The robed woman pointed to Chachamaru, "take your unconscious bodies to the the world tree and wait for your precious Negi to come rescue you."

"Two questions," Evangeline held up two fingers, "One, What makes you think he's precious to me? Two, How exactly do plan to knock me and Chachamaru out?"

The mystery woman folded her arms, "Well to answer your first question: You don't need to know. As for the second question: As we speak all of Negi Springfield's other partners are being taken and the tea you drank was laced with a powerful sleeping agent."

Evangeline was in total shock. She looked down at the tea cup, 'It's not possible.' She stood up in an instance, but felt weird.

"You feel it, don't you old hag." The robed woman said to her, "You are starting to feel light-headed, your knees can't support your weight and everything is starting to get blurry and soon it goes dark." The woman waved, "Nighty-night, old hag."

Chachamaru rushed to Evangeline and caught her before she hit the floor, "Master?" She shook Evangeline trying to wake her up. Chachamaru looked up to see the robed mystery woman, but before she could say anything, she felt someone approach from behind.

An arm went around her neck and held on tight. The mysterious assailant held Chachamaru close with her arm and with her other hand had the key used to recharge Chachamaru. She put it in place in her head and turned it counter-clockwise, shutting her down.

The assailant turned out to be another dark robed person, "That's all of them." She said to the first robed woman.

"Good, now take them to the tree and chain them up. I have to make a phone call." The woman said as she was about to leave the tea room.

"No problem, but answer me this, Why did we use the same sleeping agent on all of the girls? It seems kind of lazy to do the same thing on everyone."

The mystery woman looked at her helper, ".......Just.......just take those two to the tree, alright?"

"Alright." Her helper answered her back as she carried Evangeline and Chachamaru towards the World Tree.

'Now about that phone call....' The mystery woman thought to herself as she left the tea room.

All of Negi's partners were being kidnapped...at the same time.

* * *

Negi and Natsuko made it to the dorm room he shares with Konoka and Asuna. They had to extra careful that none of the girls from class saw Natsuko, especially Yue. Negi entered the key to his door and unlocked it, "Come on in Natsuko."

Natsuko followed her father in the room and saw where he lived, "It has that cozy feeling to it, doesn't papa?" Natsuko asked as she took a seat on the couch.

"You know, I never noticed it before but yeah, I guess it does." Negi said to her as he looked around the room.

Negi showed her where he slept, "It's very cute. It's like where a doll would sleep." Natsuko thought everything of her father's past was too adorable for words.

Negi looked from his loft to Asuna's bed and saw she wasn't there, "Asuna isn't here." Negi didn't like what he was thinking.

Natsuko saw the worried look on her father's face, "Well....maybe she's in the bathroom."

Negi got off of his loft and walked to the bathroom, _'Knock, knock, knock' _"Asuna, are you there?" Negi asked through the bathroom door, but he didn't get a response.

_'Knock, knock, knock' _Negi knocked on the door again, "Asuna?" No one answered back. He decided it would be better to see if she was inside. He slowly opened the door and stuck his head in, "She isn't in there either." Negi said in a paniced tone.

Natsuko and Negi couldn't believe it, "Calm down Papa, I'm sure she has to be somewhere." Natsuko tried to assure her father.

"But where could she be?" Negi was really starting to get worried.

Negi and Natsuko were thinking of places where Asuna might be when the phone rang. Negi went to answer it hoping it was Asuna, "Hello?"

At first there was no answer, but soon he heard the other voice on the phone, "........Negi Springfield?" A woman's voice came over the phone.

"Yes?" Negi answered, his hopes of it being Asuna on the phone are dashed.

Negi heard a small laugh come over the phone, "He, He, He, Good. I hate to ask but, are you looking for Kagurazaka Asuna?"

Negi couldn't believe what he just heard, "What? You know where Asuna is? Where? How she is?" Natsuko wasn't sure who her father was talking to on the phone or what was going on, but she was getting a weird feeling.

Negi waited for a reply, "She's with me and as for being okay, that's a matter of opinion." The woman on the phone said to him. "Besides, Asuna isn't the only you should be worrying about."

Negi was getting confused by what the woman is saying, "What do you mean? Who is this? Is Asuna alright or isn't she?" He wanted answers and he wanted them. Natsuko was getting scared by the minute as her father sounded more worried then before.

He wanted for a response, but instead he heard the cries of girls, "Help us Negi-Kun." "Negi-Sensei." "Negi-bouzu." He couldn't believe it, this woman has kidnapped some of his students, "What are you doing with them?!?" He yelled over the phone.

"If you don't want all of your precious pactio partners hurt, I suggest you come to the World Tree at four o'clock and bring along the person that killed Eton yesterday too or they die either way_." 'Click.' _Negi heard the phone hang up, 'This isn't happening.' He thought to himself as he hung up the phone and sat down next to Natsuko.

"Papa, what's wrong? Who was that on the phone?" Natsuko didn't like how that phone conversation went over.

Negi shook his head, "I don't know......but whoever she was, she knew I am wizard and she has the girls I ever made a pactio with."

"What? Are you serious? A woman has Mama and my aunts hostage?" Natsuko didn't want to believe it, but the look in her papa's eyes told her he was telling the truth. "How are we going to save them?"

Negi looked at the clock hanging on the wall, '15 minutes left.' He got off the couch, "The woman on the phone said to meet her at the World Tree at four o'clock." He told his daughter as he made his way to the door with his staff in his hand.

Natsuko got up off the couch, "I'm coming too papa and don't try to stop me." She was going to help despite his objections.

But this time, Negi wasn't going to argue, "You have to come. The woman said to bring the person who killed Eton or the girls get hurt or worse."

Natsuko couldn't believe it. She was asked to be at the World Tree. But who was the woman on the phone and what connection did she have to Eton?, 'It could be one of his associates, but the question is which one?' She asked herself as she and her father left the dorm room with their staffs in their hands, ready to fight if they have to.

* * *

Back at the campsite, the last two of the brothers sat around the campfire wearing their white robes with their hoods up and watching the sunset. The youngest of the two looked over to his much older brother out of all of them, "Where are the other two today Onii-Sama?"

The oldest brother looked at his little brother, "I don't know.....but, I hope they aren't doing stupid that will get them noticed." He said to him as he leaned back against a tree. The young brother looked from his brother to the campfire. He poked the flames around with a stick, trying to make them bigger.

As they were minding their own businesses, they sensed magical energy approaching them fast. They got up from were they were sitting, not knowing who or what the energy belong to they got into fighting positions just to be sure. The energy signature was getting closer and as it did, the brothers started to recognize who it was, the middle brother.

Their other brother managed to reach the campsite, he was out of breath and panting, he leaned against a tree for support. Both of his brothers walked over to him, "Onii-san? What's wrong? Are you okay?" His little brother asked him wanting to know why he is out of breath.

"N-N-Natsuko......Natsuko......she......" He tried to talk, but was having a hard time breathing.

The older brother stood right in front of him, "Take deep a breath and tell us what has happen to Natsuko?"

He did as his brother told him and took a couple of deep breaths. After he had his breathing steady, he was able to tell his brothers what has happened, "Natsuko.....she made contact with dad."

"SHE DID WHAT?!?" The oldest of the brothers yelled loud enough that it could be heard across the forest.

"Are you serious? She has talked to baba? How about mama and the others?" His little brother hoped he is joking, Natsuko-nee-chan would never break a rule.

The third brother shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, but I'm afraid she did and that's not the worst of it."

The other two brothers couldn't imagine how things could be worse, "Natsuko broke one of my rules and that's not the worst that could happen. Then what is?"

He looked at his older brother, "I sensed Nisha."

His other brothers couldn't have begin to imagine the dangers they left their parents to face, "You're positive it's Nisha?" The older brother asked.

The middle brother nodded his head, "Yes and I think she going after dad, the moms and Natsuko."

"Our family is going to be in serious trouble if we don't something." The little brother told his two big brothers.

The oldest of the three knew they can't make themselves be seen, even if they had their hoods up. But he also knew that their survival depended on his parents safety. He loked at both of his younger brothers, "If we came across them, keep your hoods up and don't talk to any of them, got it?"

They both nodded their heads, "Got it. Let's go." They left their campsite in hopes of stopping Nisha before she does anything that could endangers lives.

* * *

Author's Note: The pieces are all in place, all that's left are the players.

I know I promised that in this chapter you would find out who Natsuko's brothers are, but this chapter became too long so I had to cut it in half. I am already writing the next chapter so you don't have to get angry with me. You only have to wait.

Merry Christmas!

P.S.: I'M BACK!!!!!


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